TRUE  TO  THE 
-OLD  FL-AG- 


nia 


UNIV 


.  OF  CALIF.  LIB3AKY.  LOS  ANGELES 


PEARSON  TRIES  THE  ICE.— Page  856. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG: 


A  TALE  OF  THE 


AMERICAN  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY, 

Author  of  "  With  Clive  in  India,"  "The  Lion  of  the  North,"  "ft 

Freedom's  Cause,"  " The  Dragon  and  the  Raven,"  "The 

Young  Carthaginian,"  etc.,  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
52-58  DUANE  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


Stack 
Annex 

•PR 


PREFACE. 


MY  DEAR  LADS  : 

You  have  probably  been  accustomed  to  regard 
the  war  between  England  and  her  colonies  in 
America  as  one  in  which  we  were  not  only  beaten, 
but  to  some  extent  humiliated.  Owing  to  the  war 
having  been  an  unsuccessful  one  for  our  arms, 
British  writers  have  avoided  the  subject  and  it  has 
been  left  for  American  historians  to  describe. 
These,  writing  for  their  own  countrymen  and  draw- 
ing for  their  facts  upon  gazettes,  letters,  and  other 
documents  emanating  from  one  side  only,  have 
naturally,  and  no  doubt  insensibly,  given  a  very 
strong  color  to  their  own  views  of  the  events,  and 
English  writers  have  been  too  much  inclined  to 
accept  their  account  implicitly.  There  is,  however, 
another  and  very  different  side  to  the  story,  and 
this  I  have  endeavored  to  show  you.  The  whole  of 
the  facts  and  details  connected  with  the  war  can  be 
relied  upon  as  accurate.  They  are  drawn  from  the 
valuable  account  of  the  struggle  written  by  Major 
Stedman,  who  served  under  Howe,  Clinton,  and 


iv  PREFACE. 

Cornwallis,  and  from  other  authentic  contemporary 
sources.  You  will  see  that  although  unsuccessful — 
and  success  was,  under  the  circumstances,  a  sheer 
impossibility  —  the  British  troops  fought  with  a 
bravery  which  was  never  exceeded,  and  that  their 
victories  in  actual  conflict  vastly  outnumbered  their 
defeats.  Indeed,  it  may  be  doubted  whether  in  any 
war  in  which  this  country  has  been  engaged  have 
our  soldiers  exhibited  the  qualities  of  endurance 
and  courage  to  a  higher  degree. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

G.  A.  HENTY, 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
A  Frontier  Farm , 1 

CHAPTER  II. 
An  Indian  Raid 19 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Redskin  Attack. .  38 


CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Fight  at  Lexington 59 

CHAPTER  V. 
Bunker'sHill ... 77 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Scouting 99 

CHAPTER  VII. 
In  the  Forest  121 

CHAPTER  Vni. 
Quebec 142 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Surprise  of  Trenton 164 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  Treacherous  Planter 186 


ti  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Capture  of  Philadelphia 217 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Settler's  Hut..... 238 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Saratoga * 259 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Rescued 288 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Island  Refuge 305 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Great  Storm 825 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Scout's  Story  342 

CHAPTER  XVIH. 
The  Siege  of  Savannah 362 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
In  an  American  Prison 385 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  War  in  South  Carolina 405 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  End  of  the  Struggle 426 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A     FRONTIER     FARM. 

"  CONCORD,  March  1,  1774. 

"  MY  DEAR  COUSIN  :  I  am  leaving  next  week  with 
my  husband  for  England,  where  we  intend  to  pass 
some  time  visiting  his  friends.  John  and  I  have 
determined  to  accept  the  invitation  you  gave  us 
last  summer  for  Harold  to  come  and  spend  a  few 
months  with  you.  His  father  thinks  that  a  great 
future  will  ere  many  years  open  in  the  West,  and 
that  it  is  therefore  well  the  boy  should  learn  some- 
thing of  frontier  life.  For  myself,  I  would  rather 
that  he  stayed  quietly  at  home,  for  he  is  at  present 
over  fond  of  adventure ;  but  as  my  husband  is  medi- 
tating selling  his  estate  here  and  moving  west,  it  is 
perhaps  better  for  him. 

"  Massachusetts  is  in  a  ferment,  as  indeed  are  all 
the  Eastern  States,  and  the  people  talk  openly  of 
armed  resistance  against  the  government.  My  hus- 
band being  of  English  birth  and  having  served  in 
the  king's  army  cannot  brook  what  he  calls  the 
rebellious  talk  which  is  common  among  his  neigh- 
bors, and  is  already  on  bad  terms  with  many  around 
us.  I  myself  am,  as  it  were,  a  neutral.  As  an 
American  woman,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  colonists 
have  been  dealt  with  somewhat  hardly  by  the  English 


3  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG 

Parliament,  and  that  the  measures  of  the  latter  have 
been  high-handed  and  arbitrary.  Upon  the  other 
hand,  I  naturally  incline  toward  my  husband's  views. 
He  maintains  that  as  the  king's  army  has  driven 
out  the  French  and  gives  protection  to  the  colony, 
it  is  only  fair  that  the  colonists  should  contribute  to 
its  expenses.  The  English  ask  for  no  contributions 
toward  the  expenses  of  their  own  country,  but 
demand  that  at  least  the  expenses  of  the  protection 
of  the  colony  shall  not  be  charged  upon  the  heavily 
taxed  people  at  home.  As  to  the  law  that  the  col- 
ony shall  trade  only  with  the  mother  country,  my 
husband  says  that  this  is  the  rule  in  the  colonies  of 
Spain,  France,  Portugal,  and  the  Netherlands,  and 
that  the  people  here,  who  can  obtain  what  land 
they  choose  and  till  it  without  rent,  should  not 
grumble  at  paying  this  small  tax  to  the  mother 
country.  However  it  be,  I  fear  that  troubles 
will  come,  and  this  place  being  the  head  and  focus 
of  the  party  hostile  to  England,  my  husband,  feeling 
himself  out  of  accord  with  all  his  neighbors,,  saving 
a  few  loyal  gentlemen  like  himself,  is  thinking  much 
and  seriously  of  selling  our  estate  here  and  of  mov- 
ing away  into  the  new  countries  of  the  West,  where 
he  will  be  free  from  all  the  disputation  and  con- 
tentious talk  which  occupies  men's  time  here. 

"  Indeed,  cousin,  times  have  sadly  changed  since 
you  were  staying  with  us  five  years  ago.  Then  our 
life  was  a  peaceful  and  quiet  one ;  now  there  is 
nothing  but  wrangling  and  strife.  The  dissenting 
clergy  are,  as  my  husband  says  was  the  case  in  Eng- 
land before  the  great  civil  war,  the  fomenters  of 
this  discontent.  There  are  many  busybodies  who 
pass  their  time  in  stirring  up  the  people  by  violent 
harangues  and  seditious  writing ;  therefore  every 
one  takes  one  side  or  the  other  and  there  is  neither 
peace  nor  comfort  in  life. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  3 

"  Accustomed  as  I  have  always  been  to  living  in 
ease  and  affluence,  I  dread  somewhat  the  thought  of 
a  life  on  the  Indian  frontier.  One  has  heard  so 
many  dreadful  stories  of  Indian  fights  and  massa- 
cres that  I  tremble  a  little  at  the  prospect ;  but  I  do 
not  mention  this  to  John,  for  as  other  women  are,  like 
yourself,  brave  enough  to  support  these  dangers,  I 
would  not  appear  a  coward  in  his  eyes.  You  will 
see,  cousin,  that  as  this  prospect  is  before  us,  it  is 
well  that  Harold  should  learn  the  ways  of  a  frontier 
life.  Moreover,  John  does  not  like  the  thought  of 
leaving  him  here  while  we  are  in  England,  for,  as 
he  says,  the  boy  might  learn  to  become  a  rebel  in 
his  absence ;  therefore,  my  dear  cousin,  we  have  re- 
solved to  send  him  to  you.  An  opportunity  offers 
in  the  fact  that  a  gentleman  of  our  acquaintance  is, 
with  his  family,  going  this  week  west  with  the  in- 
tention of  settling  there,  and  he  will,  he  tells  us,  go 
first  to  Detroit,  whence  he  will  be  able  to  send 
Harold  forward  to  your  farm.  The  boy  himself  is 
delighted  at  the  thought  and  promises  to  return  an 
accomplished  backwoodsman.  John  joins  me  in 
kind  love  to  yourself  and  your  husband,  and  believe 
me  to  remain  your  affectionate  cousin, 

"MARY  WILSON." 

.  Four  months  after  the  date  of  the  above  letter  a 
lad  some  fifteen  years  old  was  walking  with  a  man 
of  middle  age  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron.  Behind 
them  was  a  large  clearing  of  about  a  hundred  acres 
in  extent ;  a  comfortable  house,  with  buildings  for 
cattle,  stood  at  a  distance  of  some  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  lake ;  broad  fields  of  yellow  corn 
waved  brightly  in  the  sun ;  and  from  the  edge  of 
the  clearing  came  the  sound  of  a  woodman's  ax, 


4  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

showing  that  the  proprietor  was  still  enlarging  the 
limits  of  his  farm.  Surrounding  the  house,  at  a 
distance  of  twenty  yards,  was  a  strong  stockade 
some  seven  feet  in  height,  formed  of  young  trees 
pointed  at  the  upper  end,  squared,  and  fixed  firmly 
in  the  ground.  The  house  itself,  although  far  more 
spacious  and  comfortable  than  the  majority  of  back- 
wood  farm-houses,  was  built  in  the  usual  fashion,  of 
solid  logs,  and  was  evidently  designed  to  resist 
attack. 

William  Welch  had  settled  ten  years  before  on 
this  spot,  which  was  then  far  removed  from  the 
nearest  habitation.  It  would  have  been  a  very 
imprudent  act,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  to  have 
established  himself  in  so  lonely  a  position,  so  far 
removed  from  the  possibility  of  assistance  in  case 
of  attack.  He  settled  there,  however,  just  after 
Pontiac,  who  was  at  the  head  of  an  alliance  of  all 
the  Indian  tribes  of  those  parts,  had,  after  the  long 
and  desperate  siege  of  Fort  Pitt,  made  peace  with 
us  upon  finding  that  his  friends  the  French  had 
given  up  all  thought  of  further  resistance  to  the 
English  and  had  entirely  abandoned  the  country. 
Mr.  Welch  thought,  therefore,  that  a  permanent 
peace  was  likely  to  reign  on  the  frontier,  and  that 
he  might  safely  establish  himself  in  the  charming 
location  he  had  pitched  upon,  far  removed  from  the 
confines  of  civilization. 

The  spot  was  a  natural  clearing  of  some  forty 
acres  in  extent,  sloping  down  to  the  water's  edge, 
and  a  more  charming  site  could  hardly  have  been 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  5 

chosen.  Mr.  Welch  had  brought  with  him  three 
farm-laborers  from  the  East,  and  as  time  went  on 
he  extended  the  clearing  by  cutting  down  the  for- 
est giants  which  bordered  it. 

But  in  spite  of  the  beauty  of  the  position,  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soil,  the  abundance  of  his  crops,  and  the 
advantages  afforded  by  the  lake,  both  from  its  plen- 
tiful supply  of  fish  and  as  a  highway  by  which  he 
could  convey  his  produce  to  market,  he  had  more 
than  once  regretted  his  choice  of  the  location.  It 
was  true  that  there  had  been  no  Indian  wars  on  a 
large  scale,  but  the  Indians  had  several  times  broken 
out  in  sudden  incursions.  Three  times  he  had  been 
attacked,  but  fortunately  only  by  small  parties 
which  he  had  been  enabled  to  beat  off.  Once,  when 
a  more  serious  danger  threatened  him,  he  had  been 
obliged  to  embark  with  his  wife  and  child  and  his 
more  valuable  chattels  in  the  great  scow  in  which 
he  carried  his  produce  to  market,  and  had  to  take 
refuge  in  the  settlements,  to  find  on  his  return  his 
buildings  destroyed  and  his  farm  wasted.  At  that 
time  he  had  serious  thoughts  of  abandoning  his 
location  altogether,  but  the  settlements  were  ex- 
tending rapidly  toward  him,  and  with  a  prospect  of 
having  neighbors  before  long  and  the  natural  reluc- 
tance to  give  up  a  place  upon  which  he  had  expended 
so  much  toil,  he  decided  to  hold  on,  hoping  that 
more  quiet  times  would  prevail  until  other  settlers 
would  take  up  land  around  him. 

The  house  had  been  rebuilt  more  strongly  than 
before.  He  now  employed  four  men,  and  had  been 


6  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

unmolested  since  his  return  to  his  farm,  three  years 
before  the  date  of  this  story.  Already  two  or  three 
locations  had  been  taken  up  on  the  shores  of  the 
lake  beyond  him,  a  village  had  grown  up  thirty-five 
miles  away,  and  several  settlers  had  established 
themselves  between  that  place  and  his  home. 

"  So  you  are  going  out  fishing  this  morning, 
Harold  ?"  Mr.  Welch  said.  "I  hope  you  will  bring 
back  a  good  supply,  for  the  larder  is  low.  I  was 
looking  at  you  yesterday,  and  I  see  that  you  are 
becoming  a  first-rate  hand  at  the  management  of  a 
canoe." 

"  So  I  ought  to  be,"  the  boy  said,  "  considering 
that  for  nearly  three  months  1  have  done  nothing 
but  shoot  and  fish." 

"  You  have  a  sharp  eye,  Harold,  and  will  make  a 
good  backwoodsman  one  of  these  days.  You  can 
shoot  nearly  as  well  as  I  can  now.  It  is  lucky  that 
I  had  a  good  stock  of  powder  and  lead  on  hand ; 
firing  away  by  the  hour  together  as  you  do  con- 
sumes a  large  amount  of  ammunition.  See,  there 
is  a  canoe  on  the  lake  ;  it  is  coming  this  way,  too. 
There  is  but  one  man  in  it ;  he  is  a  white  by  his 
clothes." 

For  a  minute  or  two  they  stood  watching  the 
boat,  and  then  seeing  that  its  course  was  directed 
toward  the  shore,  they  walked  down  to  the  edge  of 
the  lake  to  meet  it. 

"  Ah !  Pearson,  is  that  you  ?"  Mr.  Welch  asked. 
"  I  thought  I  knew  your  long,  sweeping  stroke  at  a 
distance.  You  have  been  hunting,  I  see ;  that  is  a 
fine  stag  you  have  got  there.  What  is  the  news?" 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLA&.  7 

"About  as  bad  as  can  be,  Master  "Welch,"  the 
hunter  said.  "  The  Iroquois  have  dug  up  the  toma- 
hawk again  and  are  out  on  the  war-path.  They 
have  massacred  John  Brent  and  his  family.  I  heard 
a  talk  of  it  among  some  hunters  I  met  ten  days 
since  in  the  woods.  They  said  that  the  Iroquois 
were  restless  and  that  their  chief,  War  Eagle,  one 
of  the  most  troublesome  varmints  on  the  whole 
frontier,  had  been  stirring  'em  up  to  war.  He  told 
'em,  I  heard,  that  the  pale-faces  were  pushing 
further  and  further  into  the  Injun  woods,  and  that 
unless  they  drove  'em  back  the  redskin  hunting- 
grounds  would  be  gone.  I  hoped  that  nothing 
would  come  of  it,  but  I  might  have  known  better. 
When  the  redskins  begin  to  stir  there's  sure  to  be 
mischief  before  they're  quiet  again." 

The  color  had  somewhat  left  Mr.  Welch's  cheeks 
as  the  hunter  spoke. 

"This  is  bad  news  indeed,  Pearson,"  he  said 
gravely.  "Are  you  sure  about  the  attack -on  the 
Brents?" 

"Sartin  sure,"  the  hunter  said.  "I  met  their 
herder  ;  he  had  been  down  to  Johnson's  to  fetch  a 
barrel  of  pork.  Just  when  he  got  back  he  heard 
the  Injun  yells  and  saw  smoke  rising  in  the  clear- 
ing, so  he  dropped  the  barrel  and  made  tracks.  I 
met  him  at  Johnson's,  where  he  had  just  arrived. 
Johnson  was  packing  up  with  all  haste  and  was 
going  to  leave,  and  so  I  said  I  would  take  my  canoe 
and  come  down  the  lake,  giving  you  all  warning  on 
the  way.  I  stopped  at  Burns'  and  Hooper's.  Burns 


8  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

said  he  should  clear  out  at  once,  but  Hooper  talkev- 
about  seeing  it  through.  He's  got  no  wife  to  bo 
skeary  about,  and  reckoned  that  with  his  two  hands 
he  could  defend  his  log  hut.  I  told  him  I  reckoned 
he  would  get  his  har  raised  if  the  Injuns  came  that 
way  ;  but  in  course  that's  his  business." 

"  What  do  you  advise,  Pearson  ?  I  do  not  like 
abandoning  this  farm  again  to  the  mercy  of  the 
redskins." 

"  It  would  be  a  pity,  Master  Welch,  that's  as  true 
as  Gospel.     It's  the  likeliest  clearing  within  fifty 
miles  round,  and  you've  fixed  the  place  up  as  snug 
and  comfortable  as  if  it  were  a  farm  in  the  old  prov- 
inces.    In  course   the  question  is  what  this  War 
Eagle  intends  to  do.     His  section  of  the  tribe  is 
pretty  considerable  strong,  and  although  at  present 
I  ain't  heard  that  any  others   have  joined,  these 
Injuns  are  like  barrels  of  gunpowder :    when  the 
spark  is  once  struck  there's  no  saying  how  far  the 
explosion  may  spread.     When  one    band    of   'em 
sees  as  how  another  is  taking  scalps  and  getting 
plunder  and  honor,  they  all  want  to  be  at  the  same 
work.     I  reckon  War  Eagle  has  got  some  two  hun- 
dred  braves  who  will  follow  him ;  but  when  the 
news  spreads  that  he  has  begun  his  work,  all  the 
Iroquois,   to   say  nothing  of  the  Shawnees,  Dela 
wares,  and  other  varmint,  may  dig  up  the  hatchet. 
The  question  is  what  War  Eagle's  intentions  are. 
He  may  make  a  clean  sweep  down,  attacking  all 
the  outlying  farms  and  waiting  till  he  is  joined  by 
a  -jot  more  of  the  red  reptiles  before  attacking  tho 


THUS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  9 

settlements.  Then,  on  the  other  hand,  he  may 
think  himself  strong  enough  to  strike  a  blow  at 
Gloucester  and  some  other  border  villages  at  once. 
In  that  case  he  might  leave  the  outlying  farms 
alone,  as  the  news  of  the  burning  of  these  would 
reach  the  settlements  and  put  'em  on  their  guard, 
and  he  knows  in  course  that  if  he  succeeds  there  he 
can  eat  you  all  up  at  his  leisure." 

"The  attack  upon  Brent's  place  looks  as  if  he 
meant  to  make  a  clean  sweep  down,"  Mr.  Welch 
said. 

"  "Well,"  the  hunter  continued  thoughtfully,  "  I 
don't  know  as  I  sees  it  in  that  light.  Brent's  place 
was  a  long  way  from  any  other.  He  might  have 
wished  to  give  his  band  a  taste  of  blood  and  so  raise 
their  spirits,  and  he  might  reasonably  conclude  that 
naught  would  be  known  about  it  for  days,  perhaps 
weeks  to  come.  Then,  again,  the  attack  might  have 
been  made  by  some  straggling  party  without  orders. 
It's  a  dubious  question.  You've  got  four  hands  here, 
I  think,  and  yourself.  I  have  seen  your  wife  shoot 
pretty  straight  with  a  rifle,  so  she  can  count  as  one, 
and  as  this  young  un  here  has  a  good  idea  too  with 
his  shooting-iron,  that  makes  six  guns.  Your  place 
is  a  strong  one,  and  you  could  beat  off  any  strag- 
gling party.  My  idea  is  that  War  Eagle,  who 
knows  pretty  well  that  the  place  would  make  a 
stout  fight,  won't  waste  his  time  by  making  a 
regular  attack  upon  it.  You  might  hold  out  for 
twenty-four  hours  ;  the  clearing  is  open  and  there 
ain't  no  shelter  to  be  had.  He  would  be  safe  to 


10  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

lose  a  sight  of  men,  and  this  would  be  a  bad  begin- 
ning and  would  discourage  his  warriors  greatly. 
No,  I  reckon  War  Eagle  will  leave  you  alone  for 
the  present.  Maybe  he  will  send  a  scout  to  see 
whether  you  are  prepared  ;  it's  as  likely  as  not  that 
one  is  spying  at  us  somewhere  among  the  trees  now. 
I  should  lose  no  time  in  driving  in  the  animals  and 
getting  well  in  shelter.  When  they  see  you  are 
prepared  they  will  leave  you  alone,  at  least  for  the 
present.  Afterward  there's  no  saying — that  will 
depend  on  how  they  get  on  at  the  settlements.  If 
they  succeed  there  and  gets  lots  of  booty  and  plenty 
of  scalps,  they  may  march  back  without  touching 
you ;  they  will  be  in  a  hurry  to  get  to  their  villages 
and  have  their  feasts  and  dancings.  If  they  are 
beaten  off  at  the  settlements  I  reckon  they  will  pay 
you  a  visit  for  sure ;  they  won't  go  back  without 
scalps.  They  will  be  savage  like  and  won't  mind 
losing  some  men  for  the  sake  of  having  something 
to  brag  about  when  they  get  back.  And  now, 
Master  Welch,  I  must  be  going  on,  for  I  want  to 
take  the  news  down  to  the  settlements  before  War 
Eagle  gets  there,  and  he  may  be  ahead  of  me  now 
for  aught  I  know.  I  don't  give  you  no  advice  as  to 
what  you  had  best  do ;  you  can  judge  the  circum- 
stances as  well  as  I  can.  When  I  have  been  to  the 
settlements  and  put  'em  on  their  guard  maybe  1 
shall  be  coming  back  again,  and  in  that  case  you 
know  Jack  Pearson's  rifle  is  at  your  disposal.  You 
may  as  well  tote  this  stag  up  to  the  house.  You 
won't  be  doing  much  hunting  just  for  the  present, 
and  the  meat  ma^  come  in  handy." 


TRUE  TO  TSE  OLD  FLAG.  11 

The  stag  was  landed,  and  a  minute  later  the 
canoe  shot  away  from  shore  under  the  steady 
stroke  of  the  hunter's  powerful  arms.  Mr.  Welch 
at  once  threw  the  stag  over  his  shoulders  and,  ac- 
companied by  Harold,  strode  away  toward  the 
house.  On  reaching  it  he  threw  down  the  stag  at 
the  door,  seized  a  rope  which  hung  against  the  wal!5 
and  the  sounds  of  a  large  bell  rung  in  quick  sharp 
strokes  summoned  the  hands  from  the  fields.  The 
sound  of  the  woodman's  ax  ceased  at  once,  and  the 
shouts  of  the  men  as  they  drove  the  cattle  toward 
the  house  rose  on  the  still  air. 

"What  is  the  matter,  William?"  Mrs.  Welch 
asked  as  she  ran  from  the  house. 

"  I  have  bad  news,  my  dear.  The  Indians  are  out 
again  and  I  fear  we  have  trouble  before  us.  We 
must  hope  that  they  will  not  come  in  this  direction, 
but  must  be  prepared  for  the  worst.  Wait  till  I  see 
all  the  hands  and  beasts  in  the  stockade,  and  then 
we  can  talk  the  matter  over  quietly." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  hands  arrived,  driving  be- 
fore them  the  horses  and  cattle. 

"What  is  it,  boss?"  they  asked.  "Was  that  the 
alarm-bell  sure  enough  ?" 

"The  Indians  are  out  again,"  Mr.  Welch  said, 
"and  in  force.  They  have  massacred  the  Brents 
and  are  making  toward  the  settlements.  They  may 
come  this  way  or  they  may  not ;  at  any  rate,  we 
must  be  prepared  for  them.  Get  the  beasts  into  the 
sheds,  and  then  do  you  all  take  scythes  and  set  to 
work  to  cut  down  that  patch  of  corn,  which  is  high 


12  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

enough  to  give  them  shelter ;  there's  nothing  else 
which  will  cover  them  within  a  hundred  yards  of 
the  house.  Of  course  you  will  take  your  rifles  with 
you  and  keep  a  sharp  lookout ;  but  they  will  have 
heard  the  bell  if  they  are  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
will  guess  that  we  are  on  the  alert,  so  they  are  not 
likely  to  attempt  a  surprise.  Shut  one  of  the  gates 
and  leave  the  other  ajar,  with  the  bar  handy  to  put 
up  in  case  you  have  to  make  a  run  for  it.  Harold 
will  go  up  to  the  lookout  while  you  are  at  work." 

Having  seen  that  all  was  attended  to,  Mr.  "Welch 
went  into  the  house,  where  his  wife  was  going  about 
her  work  as  usual,  pale,  but  quiet  and  resolute. 

"Now,  Jane,"  he  said,  "sit  down  and  I  will  tell 
you  exactly  how  matters  stand  as  far  as  Pearson, 
who  brought  the  news,  has  told  me.  Then  you 
shall  decide  as  to  the  course  we  had  better  take." 

After  he  had  told  her  all  that  Pearson  had  said 
and  the  reasons  for  and  against  expecting  an  early 
attack,  he  went  on : 

"Now,  it  remains  for  you,  my  dear,  to  decide 
whether  we  shall  stay  and  defend  the  place  till  the 
last  against  any  attack  that  may  be  made,  or 
whether  we  shall  at  once  embark  in  the  scow  and 
make  our  way  down  to  the  settlements." 

"  What  do  you  think,  William  ?'?  his  wife  asked. 

"  I  scarcely  know  myself,"  he  answered ;  "  but  if 
I  had  quite  my  own  way  I  should  send  you  and 
Nelly  down  to  the  settlements  in  the  scow  and  fight 
it  out  here  with  the  hands." 

"  You  certainly  will  not  have  your  own  way  in 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  13 

that,"  his  wife  said.  "  If  you  go  of  course  I  go  ;  if 
you  stay  I  stay.  I  would  a  thousand  times  rather 
go  through  a  siege  here  and  risk  the  worst  than  go 
down  to  Gloucester  and  have  the  frightful  anxiety 
of  not  knowing  what  was  happening  here.  Besides^ 
it  is  very  possible,  as  you  say,  that  the  Indians  maj 
attack  the  settlement  itself.  Many  of  the  people 
there  have  had  no  experience  in  Indian  war,  and  the 
redskins  are  likely  to  be  far  more  successful  in  their 
surprise  there  than  they  would  be  here.  If  we  go 
we  should  have  to  leave  our  house,  our  barns,  our 
stacks,  and  our  animals  to  the  mercy  of  the  savages. 
Your  capital  is  pretty  nearly  all  embarked  here 
now,  and  the  loss  of  all  this  would  be  ruin  to  us. 
At  any  rate,  "William,  I  am  ready  to  stay  here  and 
to  risk  what  may  come  if  you  are.  A  life  on  the 
frontier  is  necessarily  a  life  of  danger,  and  if  we  are 
to  abandon  everything  and  to  have  to  commence 
life  afresh  every  time  the  Indians  go  on  the  war- 
path, we  had  better  give  it  up  at  once  and  return 
to  Massachusetts." 

"  Yery  well,  my  dear,"  her  husband  said  gravely. 
"You  are  a  true  frontiersman's  wife;  you  have 
chosen  as  I  should  have  done.  It  is  a  choice  of 
evils ;  but  God  has  blessed  and  protected  us  since 
we  came  out  into  the  wilderness — we  will  trust  and 
confide  in  him  now.  At  any  rate,"  he  went  on 
more  cheerfully,  "  there  is  no  fear  of  the  enemy 
starving  us  out.  We  got  in  our  store  of  provisions 
only  a  fortnight  since,  and  have  enough  of  every- 
thing for  a  three  months'  siege.  There  is  no  fear 


U  THUS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

of  our  well  failing  us ;  and  as  for  ammunition,  we 
have  abundance.  Seeing  how  Harold  was  using 
powder  and  ball,  I  had  an  extra  supply  when  the 
stores  came  in  the  other  day.  There  is  plenty  of 
corn  in  the  barn  for  the  animals  for  months,  and  I 
will  have  the  corn  which  the  men  are  cutting 
brought  in  as  a  supply  of  food  for  the  cows.  It 
will  be  useful  for  another  purpose,  too;  we  will 
keep  a  heap  of  it  soaked  with  water  and  will  cover 
the  shingles  with  it  in  case  of  attack.  It  will 
effectually  quench  their  fire-arrows." 

The  day  passed  off  without  the  slightest  alarm, 
and  by  nightfall  the  patch  of  corn  was  cleared  away 
and  an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  ground  for  the 
distance  of  a  hundred  yards  from  the  house  was  af- 
forded. "When  night  fell  two  out  of  the  four  dogs 
belonging  to  the  farm  were  fastened  out  in  the  open 
at  a  distance  of  from  seventy  to  eighty  yards  of  the 
house,  the  others  being  retained  within  the  stock- 
ade. The  garrison  was  divided  into  three  watches, 
two  men  being  on  the  alert  at  a  time,  relieving  each 
other  every  three  hours.  Mr.  Welch  took  Harold 
as  his  companion  on  the  watch.  The  boy  was  great- 
ly excited  at  the  prospect  of  a  struggle.  He  had 
ofted  read  of  the  desperate  fights  between  the  fron- 
tier settlers  and  the  Indians  and  had  longed  to  take 
share  in  the  adventurous  work.  He  could  scarcely 
believe  that  the  time  had  come  and  that  he  was 
really  a  sharer  in  what  might  be  a  desperate  strug 

£le- 
The  first  watch  was  set  at  nine,  and  at  twelve  Mt, 


THUS!  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  1& 

Welch  and  Harold  came  on  duty.  The  men  they 
relieved  reported  that  all  was  silent  in  the  woods, 
and  that  they  l^ad  heard  no  suspicious  eries  of  any 
kind.  When  the  men  had  retired  to  their  room 
Mr.  Welch  told  Harold  that  he  should  take  a  turn 
round  the  stockade  and  visit  the  dogs.  Harold  was 
to  keep  watch  at  the  gate,  to  close  it  after  he  went 
out,  to  put  up  the  bar,  and  to  stand  beside  it  ready 
to  open  it  instantly  if  called  upon. 

Then  the  farmer  stepped  out  into  the  darkness 
and,  treading  noiselessly,  at  once  disappeared  from 
Harold's  sight.  The  latter  closed  the  gate,  replaced 
the  heavy  bar,  and  stood  with  one  hand  on  this  and 
the  other  holding  his  rifle,  listening  intently.  Once 
he  thought  he  heard  a  low  growling  from  one  of 
the  dogs,  but  this  presently  ceasod  and  all  was  quiet 
again.  The  gate  was  a  solid  one,  formed  of  strong 
timbers  placed  at  a  few  inches  apart  and  bolted  to 
horizontal  bars. 

Presently  he  felt  the  gate  upon  which  his  hand 
rested  quiver  as  if  pressure  was  applied  from  with- 
( out.    His  first  impulse  was  to  say  "  Is  that  you  2" 
\  but  Mr.  Welch  had  told  him  that  he  would  give  a 
low  whistle  as  he  approached  the  gate ;  he  there- 
fore stood  quiet  with  his  whole  attention  absorbed 
in  listening.     Without   making   the   least   stir  he 
peered  through  the  bars  and  made  out  two-  dark 
figures  behind  them.    After  once  or  twice  shaking 
the  gate,  one  took  his  place  against  it  and  the  other 
sprang  upon  his  shoulders. 
Harold  looked  up  and  saw  a  man's  head  appear 


16  TRUE  TO  TH£  OLD  FLAG. 

against  the  sky.  Dim  as  was  the  light,  he  could 
see  that  it  was  no  European  head-gear,  a  long 
feather  or  two  projecting  from  it.  In  an  instant  he 
leveled  his  rifle  and  fired.  There  was  a  heavy  fall 
and  then  all  was  silent.  Harold  again  peered  through 
the  bars.  The  second  figure  had  disappeared  and  a 
black  mass  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  gate. 

In  an  instant  the  men  came  running  from  the 
house,  rifles  in  hand. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  they  exclaimed.  "  Where  is  Mr. 
Welch  T 

"  He  went  out  to  scout  round  the  house,  leaving 
me  at  the  gate,"  Harold  said.  "  Two  men,  I  think 
Indians,  came  up ;  one  was  getting  over  the  gate 
when  I  shot  him.  I  think  he  is  lying  outside — the 
other  has  disappeared." 

"We  must  get  the  master  in,"  one  of  the  men 
said.  "  He  is  probably  keeping  away,  not  knowing 
what  has  happened.  Mr.  Welch,"  he  shouted,  "  it 
is  all  safe  here,  so  far  as  we  know ;  we  are  all  on 
the  lookout  to  cover  you  as  you  come  up." 

Immediately  a  whistle  was  heard  close  to  the 
gate.  This  was  cautiously  opened  a  few  i  iches  and 
was  closed  and  barred  directly  Mr.  Welch  entered. 

Harold  told  him  what  had  happened. 

"  I  thought  it  was  something  of  the  sort.  I  heard 
Wolf  growl  and  felt  sure  that  it  was  not  at  me. 
I  threw  myself  down  and  crept  up  to  him  and  found 
him  shot  through  the  heart  with  an  Indian  arrow. 
I  was  crawling  back  to  the  house  when  I  heard 
Harold's  shot.  Then  I  waited  to  see  if  it  was  fol- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  17 

lowed  by  the  war-whoop,  which  the  redskins  would 
have  raised  at  once  on  finding  that  they  were  dis- 
covered had  they  been  about  to  attack  in  force. 
Seeing  that  all  was  quiet,  I  conjectured  that  it  was 
probably  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  a  spy  to  dis- 
cover if  we  were  upon  the  alert.  Then  I  heard  your 
call  and  at  once  came  on.  I  do  not  expect  any  at- 
tack to-night  now,  as  these  fellows  must  have  been 
alone ;  but  we  will  all  keep  watch  till  the  morning. 
You  have  done  very  well,  Harold,  and  have  shown 
yourself  a  keen  watchman.  It  is  fortunate  that  you 
had  the  presence  of  mind  neither  to  stir  nor  to  call 
out  when  you  first  heard  them,  for  had  you  done  so 
you  would  probably  have  got  an  arrow  between 
your  ribs,  as  poor  Wolf  has  done." 

When  it  was  daylight  and  the  gate  was  opened 
the  body  of  an  Indian  was  seen  lying  without ;  a 
small  mark  on  his  forehead  showed  where  Harold's 
bullet  had  entered,  death  being  instantaneous.  His 
war-paint  and  the  embroidery  of  his  leggings  showed 
him  at  once  to  be  an  Iroquois.  Beside  him  lay  his 
bow,  with  an  arrow  which  had  evidently  been  fitted 
to  the  string  for  instant  work.  Harold  shuddered 
when  he  saw  it  and  congratulated  himself  on  having 
stood  perfectly  quiet.  A  grave  was  dug  a  short 
distance  away,  the  Indian  was  buried,  and  the  house- 
hold proceeded  about  their  work. 

The  day,  as  was  usual  in  households  in  America, 
was  begun  with  prayer,  and  the  supplications  of 
Mr.  Welch  for  the  protection  of  God  over  the  house- 
hold were  warm  and  earnest.  The  men  proceeded 


18  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

to  feed  the  animals ;  these  were  then  turned  out  of 
the  inclosure,  one  of  the  party  being  always  on 
watch  in  the  little  tower  which  had  been  erected 
jor  that  purpose  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  above  the 
roof  of  the  house.  From  this  spot  a  view  was  ob- 
tainable right  over  the  clearing  to  the  forest  which 
surrounded  it  on  three  sides.  The  other  hands  pro- 
ceeded to  cut  down  more  of  the  corn,  so  as  to  ex- 
tend the  level  space  around  the  house. 


TttUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  J9 


CHAPTER   II. 
AM     INDIAN     RAID. 

THAT  day  and  the  next  passed  quietly.  The 
first  night  the  raan  who  was  on  watch  up  to  mid- 
night remarked  to  Mr.  Welch  when  he  relieved 
him  that  it  seemed  to  him  that  there  were  noises  in 
the  air. 

"What  sort  of  noises,  Jackson — calls  of  night- 
birds  or  animals  ?  If  so  the  Indians  are  probably 
around  us." 

"No,"  the  man  said  ;  "all  is  still  round  here,  but 
I  seem  to  feel  the  noise  rather  than  hear  it.  I 
should  say  that  it  was  firing  very  many  miles  off." 

"  The  night  is  perfectly  still  and  the  sound  of  a 
gun  would  be  heard  a  long  way." 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  heard  a  gun ;  it  is 
rather  a  tremble  in  the  air  than  a  sound." 

When  the  man  they  had  relieved  had  gone  down 
and  all  was  still  again,  Mr.  Welch  and  Harold  stood 
listening  intently. 

"  Jackson  was  right,"  the  farmer  said ;  "  there  is 
something  in  the  air.  I  can  feel  it  rather  than  hear 
it.  It  is  a  sort  of  murmur  no  louder  than  a  whisper. 
Do  you  hear  it,  Harold  ?" 

4<  I  seem  to  hear  something,"  Harold  said.    "  It 


20  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

might  be  the  sound  of  the  sea  a  very  long  way  off, 
just  as  one  can  hear  it  many  miles  from  the  coast 
on  a  still  night  at  home.  "What  do  you  think 
it  is  ?" 

"  If  it  is  not  fancy,"  Mr.  Welch  replied,  "  and  I  do 
not  think  that  we  should  all  be  deceived,  it  is  an  at- 
tack upon  Gloucester." 

"  But  Gloucester  is  thirty-five  miles  away,"  Harold 
answered. 

"  It  is,"  Mr.  "Welch  replied ;  "  but  on  so  still  a 
night  as  this  sounds  can  be  heard  from  an  immense 
distance.  If  it  is  not  this  I  cannot  say  what  it  is." 

Upon  the  following  night,  just  as  Mr.  "Welch's 
watch  was  at  an  end,  a  low  whistle  was  heard  near 
the  gate. 

"  "Who  is  there  ?"  Mr.  "Welch  at  once  challenged. 

"  Jack  Pearson,  and  the  sooner  you  open  the  gate 
the  better.  There's  no  saying  where  these  red 
devils  may  be  lying  round." 

Harold  and  the  farmer  instantly  ran  down  and 
opened  the  gate. 

"I  should  advise  you  to  stop  down  here,"  the 
hunter  said  as  they  replaced  the  bars.  "  If  you  did 
not  hear  me  you  certainly  would  not  hear  the  red- 
skins, and  they'd  all  be  over  the  palisade  before  you 
had  time  to  fire  a  shot.  I'm  glad  to  see  you  safe, 
for  I  was  badly  skeared  lest  I  should  find  nothing 
but  a  heap  of  ashes  here." 

The  next  two  men  now  turned  out,  and  Mr. 
Welch  led  his  visitor  into  the  house  and  struck  a 
light 


TRUE  TO  ERE  OLD  FLAG.  21 

"Halloo!  Pearson,  you  must  have  been  in  a 
skirmish,"  he  said,  seeing  that  the  hunter's  head 
was  bound  up  with  a  blood-stained  bandage. 

"It  was  all  that,"  Pearson  said,  "  and  wuss.  I 
went  down  to  Gloucester  and  told  'em  what  I  had 
heard,  but  the  darned  fools  tuk  it  as  quiet  as  if  all 
King  George's  troops  with  fixed  bayonets  had  been 
camped  round  'em.  The  council  got  together  and 
palavered  for  an  hour,  and  concluded  that  there 
was  no  chance  whatever  of  the  Iroquois  venturing 
to  attack  such  a  powerful  place  as  Gloucester.  I 
told  'em  that  the  redskins  would  go  over  their 
stockade  at  a  squirrel's  jump,  and  that  as  War 
Eagle  alone  had  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty 
braves,  while  there  warn't  more  than  fifty  able- 
bodied  men  in  Gloucester  and  all  the  farms  around 
it,  things  would  go  bad  with  'em  if  they  didn't 
mind.  But,  bless  yer,  they  knew  more  than  I  did 
about  it.  Most  of  'em  had  moved  from  the  East 
and  had  never  seen  an  Injun  in  his  war-paint. 
Gloucester  had  never  been  attacked  since  it  was 
founded  nigh  ten  years  ago,  and  they  didn't  see  no 
reason  why  it  should  be  attacked  now.  There  was 
a  few  old  frontiersmen  like  myself  among  'ern 
who  did  their  best  to  stir  'em  up,  but  it  was  no 
manner  of  good.  "When  the  council  was  over  we 
put  our  heads  together,  and  just  went  through  the 
township  a-talking  to  the  women,  and  we  hadn't 
much  difficulty  in  getting  up  such  a  skear  among 
'em  that  before  nightfall  every  one  of  'em  in  the 
farms  around  made  their  husbands  move  into  the 
stockade  of  the  village. 


23  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  When  the  night  passed  off  quietly  most  of  the 
men  were  just  as  savage  with  us  as  if  it  had  been  a 
false  alarm  altogether.  I  p'inted  out  that  it  was  not 
because  War  Eagle  had  left  'em  alone  that  night 
that  he  was  bound  to  do  so  the  next  night  or  any 
night  after.  But  in  spite  of  the  women  they  would 
have  started  out  to  their  farms  the  fust  thing  in  the 
morning,  if  a  man  hadn't  come  in  with  the  news 
that  Carter's  farm  had  been  burned  and  the  whole 
of  the  people  killed  and  scalped.  As  Carter's  farm 
lay  only  about  fifteen  miles  off  this  gave  'em  a 
skear,  and  they  were  as  ready  now  to  believe  in  the 
Injuns  as  I  had  tried  to  make  'em  the  night  before. 
Then  they  asked  us  old  hands  to  take  the  lead  and 
promised  to  do  what  we  told  'em,  but  when  it  came 
to  it  their  promises  were  not  worth  the  breath  they 
had  spent  upon  'em.  There  were  eight  or  ten 
houses  outside  the  stockade,  and  in  course  we  wanted 
these  pulled  down  ;  but  they  wouldn't  hear  of  it. 
Howsomever,  we  got  'em  to  work  to  strengthen  the 
stockades,  to  make  loop-holes  in  the  houses  near 
'em,  to  put  up  barricades  from  house  to  house,  and 
to  prepare  generally  for  a  fight.  We  divided  into 
three  watches. 

"  Well,  just  as  I  expected,  about  eleven  o'clock  at 
night  the  Injuns  attacked.  Our  watch  might  just 
as  well  have  been  asleep  for  any  good  they  did,  for 
it  was  not  till  the  redskins  had  crept  up  to  the 
stockade  all  round  and  opened  fire  between  the 
timbers  on  'em  that  they  knew  that  they  were 
near.  I  do  'em  justice  to  say  that  they  fought  stiff 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  23 

enough  then,  and  for  four  hours  they  held  the  line 
of  houses  ;  every  redskin  who  climbed  the  stockade 
fell  dead  inside  it.  Four  fires  had  been  lighted 
directly  they  attacked  to  enable  us  to  keep  'em  from 
scaling  the  stockade,  but  they  showed  us  to  the 
enemy,  of  course. 

"The  redskins  took  possession  of  the  houses 
which  we  had  wanted  to  pull  down,  and  precious 
hot  they  made  it  for  us.  Then  they  shot  such 
showers  of  burning  arrows  into  the  village  that  half 
of  the  houses  were  soon  alight.  We  tried  to  get 
our  men  to  sally  out  and  to  hold  the  line  of  stock- 
ade, when  we  might  have  beaten  'em  off  if  all  the 
village  had  been  burned  down  ;  but  it  were  no  man- 
ner of  good  ;  each  man  wanted  to  stick  to  his  wife 
and  family  till  the  last.  As  the  flames  went  up 
every  man  who  showed  himself  was  shot  down,  and 
when  at  last  more  than  half  our  number  had  gone 
under  the  redskins  brought  up  fagots,  piled  'em 
against  the  stockade  outside,  and  then  the  hull  tribe 
came  bounding  over.  Our  rifles  were  emptied,  for 
we  couldn't  get  the  men  to  hold  their  fire,  but 
some  of  us  chaps  as  knew  what  was  coming  gave 
the  redskins  a  vollej'  as  they  poured  in. 

"I  don't  know  much  as  happened  after  that, 
Jack  Eobins  and  Bill  Shuter,  who  were  old  pals  oi 
mine,  and  me  made  up  our  minds  what  to  do,  and 
we  made  a  rush  for  a  small  gate  that  there  was  in 
the  stockade,  just  opposite  where  the  Injuns  came 
in.  "We  got  through  safe  enough,  but  they  had  left 
men  all  round.  Jack  Kobins  he  was  shot  dead. 


24  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Bill  and  I  kept  straight  on.  We  had  a  grapple 
with  some  of  the  redskins ;  two  or  three  on  'em 
went  down,  and  Bill  and  I  got  through  and  had  a 
race  for  it  till  we  got  fairly  into  the  forest.  Bill 
had  a  ball  in  the  shoulder  and  I  had  a  clip  across 
the  head  with  a  tomahawk.  We  had  a  council,  and 
Bill  went  off  to  warn  some  of  the  other  settlements 
and  I  concluded  to  take  to  the  water  and  paddle 
back  to  you,  not  knowing  whether  I  should  find 
that  the  redskins  had  been  before  me.  I  thought 
anyway  that  I  might  stop  your  going  down  to 
Gloucester,  and  that  if  there  was  a  fight  you  would 
be  none  the  worse  for  an  extra  rifle." 

Mr.  Welch  told  the  hunter  of  the  visit  of  the  two 
Indian  spies  two  nights  before. 

"  Waal,"  the  hunter  said,  "  I  reckon  for  the  pres- 
ent you  are  not  likely  to  be  disturbed.  The  Injuns 
have  taken  a  pile  of  booty  and  something  like  two 
hundred  scalps,  counting  the  women  and  children, 
and  they  moved  off  at  daybreak  this  morning  in  the 
direction  of  Tottenham,  which  I  reckon  they'll 
attack  to-night.  Hovvsomever,  Bill  has  gone  on 
there  to  warn  'em,  and  after  the  sack  of  Gloucester 
the  people  of  Tottenham  won't  be  caught  napping, 
and  there  are  two  or  three  old  frontiersmen  who 
have  settled  down  there,  and  War  Eagle  will  get  a 
hot  reception  if  he  tries  it.  As  fav  as  his  band  is 
concerned  you're  safe  for  some  days.  The  only  fear 
is  that  some  others  of  the  tribe,  hurrying  up  at  hear- 
ing of  his  success,  may  take  this  place  as  they  go 
past.  And  now  I  guess  I'll  take  a  few  hours'  sleep. 
I  haven't  closed  an  eye  for  the  last  two  nights." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  25 

A  week  passed  quietly.  Pearson,  after  remain- 
ing two  days,  again  went  down  the  lake  to  gather 
news,  and  returned  a  day  later  with  the  intelligence 
that  almost  all  the  settlements  had  been  deserted 
by  their  inhabitants.  The  Indians  were  out  in  great 
strength  and  had  attacked  the  settlers  at  many 
points  along  the  frontier,  committing  frightful  dev- 
astations. 

Still  another  week  passed,  and  Mr.  "Welch  began 
to  hope  that  his  little  clearing  had  been  overlooked 
and  forgotten  by  the  Indians.  The  hands  now  w$jat 
about  their  work  as  usual,  but  always  carried  arms 
with  them,  while  one  was  constantly  stationed  on 
the  watch-tower.  Harold  resumed  his  fishing,  never, 
howevor,  going  out  of  sight  of  the  house.  Some- 
times he  took  with  him  little  Nelly  Welch,  it  being 
considered  that  she  was  as  safe  in  the  canoe  as  she 
was  in  the  house,  especially  as  the  boat  was  always 
in  sight,  and  the  way  up  from  the  landing  to  the 
house  was  under  cover  of  the  rifles  of  the  defend- 
ers ;  so  that  even  in  case  of  an  attack  they  would 
probably  be  able  to  make  their  way  back. 

One  afternoon  they  had  been  out  together  for 
two  or  three  hours ;  everything  looked  as  quiet  and 
peaceable  as  usual;  the  hands  were  in  the  fields 
near  the  house,  a  few  of  the  cows  grazing  close  to 
the  gate.  Harold  had  been  successful  in  his  fishing 
and  had  obtained  as  many  fish  as  he  could  carry. 
He  stepped  out  from  the  canoe,  helped  Nelly  to 
land,  slung  his  rifle  across  his  back,  and  picked  up 
the  fish,  which  -,vere  strung  on  a  withe  passed 
through  their 


26  TRUE  TO  THS  OLD  PLA&. 

He  had  made  but  a  few  steps  when  a  yell  arose, 
so  loud  and  terrible  that  for  a  moment  his  heart 
seemed  to  stop  beating.  Then  from  the  corn-fields 
leaped  up  a  hundred  dark  figures ;  then  came  the 
sharp  crack  of  rifles,  and  two  of  the  hands  dashed 
down  at  full  speed  toward  the  house.  One  had 
fallen.  The  fourth  man  was  in  the  watch-tower. 
The  surprise  had  been  complete.  The  Indians  had 
made  their  way  like  snakes  through  the  long  corn, 
whose  waving  had  been  unperceived  by  the  sentinel, 
who  was  dozing  at  his  post,  half-asleep  in  the  heat 
of  the  sun.  Harold  saw  in  a  moment  that  it  was 
too  late  for  him  to  regain  the  house ;  the  redskins 
were  already  nearer  to  it  than  he  was. 

"  Now,  Nelly !  into  the  boat  again — quick !"  he 
said.  "  "We  must  keep  out  of  the  way  till  it's  all 
over." 

Nelly  was  about  twelve  years  old,  and  her  life  in 
the  woods  had  given  her  a  courage  and  quickness 
beyond  her  years.  Without  wasting  a  moment  on 
cries  or  lamentations  she  sprang  back  into  the  canoe. 
Harold  took  his  place  beside  her,  and  the  light 
craft  darted  rapidly  out  into  the  lake.  Not  until 
he  was  some  three  or  four  hundred  yards  from  the 
shore  did  Haroid  pause  to  look  round.  Then,  when 
he  felt  he  was  out  of  gunshot  distance,  he  ceased 
paddling. 

The  fight  was  raging  now  around  the  house; 
from  loop-holes  and  turret  the  white  puffs  of  smoke 
darted  angrily  out.  The  fire  had  not  been  inef- 
fectual, for  several  dark  forms  could  be  seen  lying 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  27 

round  the  stockade,  and  the  bulk  of  the  Indians, 
foiled  in  their  attempt  to  carry  the  place  at  a  rush, 
had  taken  shelter  in  the  corn  and  kept  up  a  scatter- 
ing fire  round  the  house,  broken  only  on  the  side 
facing  the  lake,  where  there  was  no  growing  crop 
to  afford  them  shelter. 

"  They  are  all  right  now,"  Harold  said  cheerfully. 
"Do  not  be  anxious,  Nelly ;  they  will  beat  them  off. 
Pearson  is  a  host  in  himself.  I  expect  he  must 
have  been  lying  down  when  the  attack  was  made. 
I  know  he  was  scouting  round  the  house  all  night. 
If  he  had  been  on  the  watch  those  fellows  would 
never  have  succeeded  in  creeping  up  so  close  un- 
observed." 

"  I  wish  we  were  inside,"  Nelly  said,  speaking  for 
the  first  time.  "  If  I  were  only  with  them  I  should 
not  mind." 

"I  am  sure  I  wish  we  were,"  Harold  agreed. 
"  It  is  too  hard  being  useless  out  here  when  such  a 
splendid  fight  is  going  on.  Ah!  they  have  their 
eyes  on  us  !"  he  exclaimed  as  a  puff  of  smoke  burst 
out  from  some  bushes  near  the  shore  and  a  ball 
came  skipping  along  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
sinking,  however,  before  it  reached  it. 

"Those  Indian  muskets  are  no  good,"  Harold 
said  contemptuously,  "and  the  trade  powder  the 
Indians  get  is  very  poor  stuff ;  but  I  think  that  they 
are  well  within  range  of  my  rifle." 

The  weapon  which  Harold  carried  was  an  English 
rifle  of  very  perfect  make  and  finish  which  his 
father  had  given  him  on  parting. 


28  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "do  you  paddle  the  canoe  a  few 
strokes  nearer  the  shore,  Nelly.  We  shall  still  be 
beyond  the  range  of  that  fellow.  Pie  will  fire  again 
and  I  shall  see  exactly  where  he  is  lying." 

Nelly,  who  was  efficient  in  the  management  of  a 
canoe,  took  the  paddle,  and  dipping  it  in  the  water 
the  boat  moved  slowly  toward  the  shore.     Harold 
sat  with  his  rifle  across  his  knees,  looking  intently 
over  the  bows  of  the  boat  toward  the  bush  from 
which  the  shot  had  come. 
"  That's  near  enough,  Nelly,"  he  said. 
The  girl  stopped  paddling,  and  the  hidden  foe, 
seeing  that  they  did  not  mean  to  come  nearer  the 
shore,  again  fired. 

Harold's  rifle  was  in  an  instant  against  his 
shoulder ;  he  sat  immovable  for  a  moment  and  then 
fired. 

Instantly  a  dark  figure  sprang  from  the  bush, 
staggered  a  few  steps  up  the  slope,  and  then  fell 
headlong. 

"That  was  a  pretty  good  shot,"  Harold  said. 
"  Your  father  told  me  when  I  saw  a  stag's  horns 
above  a  bush  to  fire  about  two  feet  behind  them  and 
eighteen  inches  lower.  I  fired  a  foot  below  the 
flash,  and  I  expect  I  hit  him  through  the  body.  I 
had  the  sight  at  three  hundred  yards  and  fired  a 
little  above  it.  Now,  Nelly,  paddle  out  again. 
See !"  he  said,  "  there  is  a  shawl  waving  from  the 
top  of  the  tower.  Put  your  hat  on  the  paddle  and 
wave  it." 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of  doing,  Harold  ?"  the 
girl  asked  presently. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  29 

"  That  is  just  what  I  have  been  asking  myself  for 
the  last  ten  minutes,"  Harold  replied.  "  It  is  quite 
clear  that  as  long  as  the  siege  is  kept  up  we  cannot 
get  back  again,  and  there  is  no  saying  how  long  it 
may  last.  The  first  thing  is,  What  chance  is  there 
of  their  pursuing  us  ?  Are  there  any  other  canoes 
on  the  lake  within  a  short  distance  ?" 

"They  have  one  at  Braith waiters,"  the  girl  said, 
"  four  miles  off  ;  but  look,  there  is  Pearson's  canoe 
lying  by  the  shore." 

"So  there  is,"  Harold  exclaimed.  "I  never 
thought  of  that.  I  expect  the  Indians  have  not 
noticed  it.  The  bank  is  rather  high  where  it  is 
lying.  They  are  sure  to  find  it  sooner  or  later.  I 
think,  Nelly,  the  best  plan  would  be  to  paddle  back 
again  so  as  to  be  within  the  range  of  my  rifle  while 
still  beyond  the  reach  of  theirs.  I  think  I  can  keep 
them  from  using  the  boat  until  it  is  dark." 

"But  after  it  is  dark,  Harold?" 

"  Well,  then,  we  must  paddle  out  into  the  lake  so 
as  to  be  well  out  of  sight.  When  it  gets  quite  dark 
we  can  paddle  in  again  and  sleep  safelyany  where  a 
mile  or  two  from  the  house." 

An  hour  passed  without  change.  Then  Nelly 
said: 

"There  is  a  movement  in  the  bushes  near  the 
canoe." 

Presently  an  arm  was  extended  and  proceeded  to 
haul  the  canoe  toward  the  shore  by  its  head-rope.  As 
it  touched  the  bank  an  Indian  rose  from  the  bushes 
and  was  about  to  step  in,  while  a  number  of  flashes 


30  TRUE  TO  THE  OL1,  FLAG. 

of  smoke  burst  out  along  the  shore  and  the  bullets 
skipped  over  the  water  toward  the  canoe,  one  of 
them  striking  it  with  sufficient  force  to  penetrate 
the  thin  bark  a  few  inches  above  the  water's  edge. 
Harold  had  not  moved,  but  as  the  savage  stepped 
into  the  canoe  he  fired,  and  the  Indian  fell  heavily 
into  the  water,  upsetting  the  canoe  as  he  did  so. 

A  yell  of  rage  broke  from  his  comrades. 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  try  that  game  again  as 
long  as  it  is  daylight,"  Harold  said.  "Paddle  a 
little  further  out  again,  Nelly.  If  that  bullet  had 
hit  you  it  would  have  given  you  a  nasty  blow, 
though  I  don't  think  it  would  have  penetrated ;  still 
we  may  as  well  avoid  accidents." 

After  another  hour  passed  the  fire  round  the 
house  ceased. 

"  Do  you  think  the  Indians  have  gone  away  ?" 
Nelly  asked. 

"  I  am  afraid  there  is  no  chance  of  that,"  Harold 
said.  "  I  expect  they  are  going  to  wait  till  night 
and  then  try  again.  They  are  not  fond  of  losing 
men,  and  Pearson  and  your  father  are  not  likely  to 
miss  anything  that  comes  within  their  range  as  long 
as  daylight  lasts." 

"  But  after  dark,  Harold  2" 

"  Oh,  they  will  try  all  sorts  of  tricks ;  but  Pear- 
son is  up  to  them  all.  Don't  you  worry  about 
them,  dear." 

The  hours  passed  slowly  away  until  at  last  the 
sun  sank  and  the  darkness  came  on  rapidly.  So 
long  as  he  could  see  the  canoe,  which  just  floated 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  31 

above  the  water's  edge,  Harold  maintained  his  posi- 
tion ;  then  taking  one  paddle,  while  Nelly  handled 
the  other,  he  sent  the  boat  flying  away  from  the 
shore  out  into  the  lake. 

For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  paddled  straight 
out.  By  this  time  the  outline  of  the  shore  could  be 
but  dimly  perceived.  Harold  doubted  whether  it 
would  be  possible  to  see  the  boat  from  shore,  but  in 
order  to  throw  the  Indians  off  the  scent,  should  this 
be  the  case,  he  turned  the  boat's  head  to  the  south 
and  paddled  swiftly  until  it  was  perfectly  dark. 

"  I  expect  they  saw  us  turn  south,"  he  said  to 
Nelly.  "  The  redskins  have  wonderful  eyes ;  so  if 
they  pursue  at  all  they  will  do  it  in  that  direction. 
No  human  being,  unless  he  borrowed  the  eyes  of 
an  owl,  could  see  us  now,  so  we  will  turn  and  pad- 
dle the  other  way." 

For  two  hours  they  rowed  in  this  direction. 

"  "We  can  go  into  shore  now,"  Harold  said  at  last. 
"We  must  be  seven  or  eight  miles  beyond  the 
house." 

The  distance  to  the  shore  was  longer  than  they 
expected,  for  they  had  only  the  light  of  the  stars  to 
guide  them  and  neither  had  any  experience  in  night 
traveling.  They  had  made  much  further  out  into 
the  lake  than  they  had  intended.  At  length  the 
dark  line  of  trees  rose  in  front  of  them,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  canoe  lay  alongside  the  bank  and 
its  late  occupants  were  stretched  on  a  soft  layer  of 
moss  and  fallen  leaves. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  to-morrow  about 
eating  ?"  Nelly  asked. 


32  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"There  are  four  or  five  good-sized  fish  in  the 
bottom  of  the  canoe,"  Harold  replied.  "Fortu- 
nately we  caught  more  than  I  could  carry,  and  I  in- 
tended to  make  a  second  trip  from  the  house  for 
these.  I  am  afraid  we  shall  not  be  able  to  cook 
them,  for  the  Indians  can  see  smoke  any  distance. 
If  the  worse  comes  to  the  worst  we  must  eat  them 
raw,  but  we  are  sure  to  find  some  berries  in  the 
wood  to-morrow.  Now,  dear,  you  had  better  go  to 
sleep  as  fast  as  you  can  ;  but  first  let  us  kneel  down 
and  pray  God  to  protect  us  and  your  father  and 
mother." 

The  boy  and  girl  knelt  in  the  darkness  and  said 
their  simple  prayers.  Then  they  lay  down,  and 
Harold  was  pleased  to  hear  in  a  few  minutes 
the  steady  breathing  which  told  him  that  his  cousin 
was  asleep.  It  was  a  long  time  before  he  followed 
her  example.  During  the  day  he  had  kept  up  a 
brave  front  and  had  endeavored  to  make  the  best 
of  their  position,  but  now  that  he  was  alone  he  felt 
the  full  weight  of  the  responsibility  of  guiding  his 
companion  through  the  extreme  danger  which 
threatened  them  both.  He  felt  sure  that  the  In- 
dians would  prolong  the  siege  for  some  time,  as 
they  would  be  sure  that  no  reinforcements  could 
possibly  arrive  in  aid  of  the  garrison.  Moreover, 
he  by  no  means  felt  so  sure,  as  he  had  pretended  to 
his  companion,  of  the  power  of  the  defenders  of  the 
house  to  maintain  a  successful  resistance  to  so  large 
a  number  of  their  savage  foes.  In  the  daylight  he 
felt  certain  they  could  beat  them  off,  but  darkness 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  33 

neutralizes  the  effect  both  of  superior  arms  and 
better  marksmanship.  It  was  nearly  midnight  be- 
fore he  lay  down  with  the  determination  to  sleep, 
but  scarcely  had  he  done  so  when  he  was  aroused 
by  an  outburst  of  distant  firing.  Although  six  or 
seven  miles  from  the  scene  of  the  encounter,  the 
gound  of  each  discharge  came  distinct  to  the  ear 
along  the  smooth  surface  of  the  lake,  and  he  could 
even  hear,  mingled  with  the  musketry  fire,  the  faint 
yells  of  the  Indians.  For  hours,  as  it  seemed  to 
him,  he  sat  listening  to  the  distant  contest,  and  then 
he,  unconsciously  to  himself,  dozed  off  to  sleep,  and 
awoke  with  a  start,  to  find  Kelly  sitting  up  beside 
him  and  the  sun  streaming  down  through  the 
boughs.  He  started  to  his  feet. 

"  Bless  me,"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  did  not  know  that 
I  had  been  asleep.  It  seems  but  an  instant  ago 
that  I  was  listening — "  and  here  he  checked  him- 
self— "  that  is,  that  I  was  wide  awake,  and  here  we 
are  in  broad  daylight." 

Harold's  first  care  was  to  examine  the  position  of 
the  canoe,  and  he  found  that  fortunately  it  had 
touched  the  shore  at  a  spot  where  the  boughs  of 
the  trees  overhead  drooped  into  the  water  beyond 
it,  so  that  it  could  not  be  seen  by  any  one  passing 
along  the  lake.  This  was  the  more  fortunate  as  he 
saw  some  three  miles  away  a  canoe  with  three  fig- 
ures on  board.  For  a  long  distance  on  either  side 
the  boughs  of  the  trees  drooped  into  the  water,  with 
only  an  opening  here  and  there  such  as  that  through 
which  the  boat  had  passed  the  night  before. 


34  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  "We  must  be  moving,  Nelly.  Here  are  the 
marks  where  we  scrambled  up  the  bank  last  night. 
If  the  Indians  take  it  into  their  heads  to  search  the 
shore  both  ways,  as  likely  enough  they  may  do, 
they  will  be  sure  to  see  them.  In  the  first  place  let 
us  gather  a  stock  of  berries,  and  then  we  will  get 
into  the  boat  again  and  paddle  along  under  this 
arcade  of  boughs  till  we  get  to  some  place  where 
we  can  land  without  leaving  marks  of  our  feet.  If 
the  Indians  find  the  place  where  we  landed  here 
they  will  suppose  that  we  went  off  again  before 
daylight." 

For  some  time  they  rambled  in  the  wood  and  suc- 
ceeded in  gathering  a  store  of  berries  and  wild 
fruit.  Upon  these  Nelly  made  her  breakfast,  but 
Harold's  appetite  was  sufficiently  ravenous  to  en- 
able him  to  fall  to  upon  the  fish,  which,  he  declared, 
were  not  so  bad  after  all.  Then  they  took  their 
places  in  the  canoe  again  and  paddled  on  for  nearly 
a  mile. 

"See,  Harold!"  Nelly  exclaimed  as  she  got  a 
glimpse  through  the  boughs  into  the  lake,  "  there  is 
another  canoe.  They  must  have  got  the  Braith- 
waite  boat.  We  passed  their  place  coming  here, 
you  know.  I  wonder  what  has  happened  there." 

"  What  do  you  think  is  best  to  do,  Nelly  ?"  Har- 
old asked.  "  Your  opinion  is  just  as  good  as  mine 
about  it.  Shall  we  leave  our  canoe  behind,  land, 
and  take  to  the  woods,  or  shall  we  stop  quietly  in 
the  canoe  in  shelter  here,  or  shall  we  take  to  the 
lake  and  trust  to  our  speed  to  get  away  ?  in  which 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  36 

case,  you  know,  if  they  should  come  up  I  could  pick 
them  off  with  my  gun  before  they  got  within 
reach." 

"1  don't  think  that  would  do,"  the  girl  said, 
shaking  her  head.  "  You  shoot  very  well,  but  it  is 
not  an  easy  thing  to  hit  a  moving  object  if  you  are 
not  accustomed  to  it,  and  they  paddle  so  fast  that 
if  you  miss  them  once  they  would  be  close  alongside 
— at  any  rate  we  should  be  within  reach  of  their 
guns — before  you  could  load  again.  They  would  be 
sure  to  catch  us,  for  although  we  might  paddle 
nearly  as  fast  for  a  time,  they  would  certainly  tire  us 
out.  Then  as  to  waiting  here  in  the  canoe,  if  they 
came  along  on  foot  looking  for  us  we  should  be  in 
their  power.  It  is  dreadful  to  think  of  taking  to 
the  woods  with  Indians  all  about,  but  I  really  think 
that  would  be  our  safest  plan." 

"  I  think  so  too,  Nelly,  if  we  can  manage  to  do  it 
without  leaving  a  track.  We  must  not  go  much 
further,  for  the  trees  are  getting  thinner  ahead  and 
we  should  be  seen  by  the  canoes." 

Fifty  yards  further  Harold  stopped  paddling. 

"  Here  is  just  the  place,  Nelly." 

At  this  point  a  little  stream  of  three  or  four  feet 
wide  emerged  into  the  lake ;  Harold  directed  the 
boat's  head  toward  it.  The  water  in  the  stream 
was  but  a  few  inches  deep. 

"  Now,  Nelly,"  he  said,  "  we  must  step  out  into 
the  water  and  walk  up  it  as  far  as  we  can  go— it 
will  puzzle  even  the  sharpest  redskins  to  find 
track  then." 


3tf  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

They  stepped  into  the  water,  Harold  taking  the 
head-rope  of  the  canoe  and  towing  the  light  boat — 
which,  when  empty,  did  not  draw  more  than  two 
inches  of  water — behind  him.  He  directed  Nelly 
to  be  most  careful  as  she  walked  not  to  touch  any 
of  the  bushes,  which  at  times  nearly  met  across  the 
stream. 

"  A  broken  twig  or  withered  leaf  would  be  quite 
enough  to  tell  the  Indians  that  we  came  along  this 
way,"  he  said.  "  Where  the  bushes  are  thick  you 
must  manage  to  crawl  under  them.  Never  mind 
about  getting  wet — you  will  soon  dry  again." 

Slowly  and  cautiously  they  made  their  way  up 
the  stream  for  nearly  a  mile.  It  had  for  some  dis- 
tance been  narrowing  rapidly,  being  only  fed  by 
little  rills  from  the  surrounding  swamp  land. 
Harold  had  so  far  looked  in  vain  for  some  spot 
where  they  could  land  without  leaving  marks  of 
their  feet.  Presently  they  came  to  a  place  where  a 
great  tree  had  fallen  across  the  stream. 

"This  will  do,  Nelly,"  Harold  said.  "Now, 
above  all  things  you  must  be  careful  not  to  break 
off  any  of  the  moss  or  bark.  You  had  better  take 
your  shoes  off ;  then  I  will  lift  you  on  to  the  trunk 
and  you  can  walk  along  it  without  leaving  a  mark." 

It  was  hard  work  for  Nelly  to  take  off  her 
drenched  boots,  but  she  managed  at  last.  Harold 
lifted  her  on  to  the  trunk  and  said  : 

"  Walk  along  as  far  as  you  can  and  get  down  as 
lightly  as  possible  on  to  a  firm  piece  of  ground.  It 
rises  rapidly  here  and  is,  I  expect,  a  dry  soil  where 
the  upper  end  of  the  tree  lies." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  37 

"  How  are  you  going  to  get  out,  Harold  8" 

"  I  can  swing  myself  up  by  that  projecting  root." 

Before  proceeding  to  do  so  Harold  raised  one  end 
of  the  canoe  and  placed  it  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  ; 
then  having  previously  taken  off  his  shoes,  he  swung 
himself  on  to  the  trunk  ;  hauling  up  the  light  bark 
canoe  and  taking  especial  pains  that  it  did  not  grate 
upon  the  trunk,  he  placed  it  on  his  head  and  fol- 
lowed Nelly  along  the  tree.  He  found,  as  he  had 
expected,  that  the  ground  upon  which  the  upper  end 
lay  was  firm  and  dry.  He  stepped  down  with 
great  care,  and  was  pleased  to  see  as  he  walked 
forward  that  no  trace  of  a  footmark  was  left. 

"  Be  careful,  Nelly,"  he  exclaimed  when  he  joined 
her,  "  not  to  tread  on  a  stick  or  disturb  a  fallen  leaf 
with  your  feet,  and  above  all  to  avoid  breaking  the 
smallest  twig  as  you  pass.  Choose  the  most  open 
ground,  as  that  is  the  hardest." 

In  about  a  hundred  yards  they  came  upon  a  large 
clump  of  bushes. 

"  Now,  Nelly,  raise  those  lower  boughs  as  gently 
and  as  carefully  as  you  can.  I  will  push  the  canoe 
under.  I  don't  think  the  sharpest  Indian  will  be 
able  to  take  up  our  track  now." 

Yery  carefully  the  canoe  was  stowed  away,  and 
when  the  boughs  were  allowed  to  fall  in  their  nat- 
ural position  it  was  completely  hidden  from  sight  to 
every  passer-by.  Harold  took  up  the  fish,  Nelly 
had  filled  her  apron  with  the  berries,  and  carrying 
their  shoes — for  they  agreed  that  it  would  be  safer 
not  to  put  them  on — they  started  on  their  journey 
through  the  deep  forest. 


38  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE     KEDSKIN     ATTACK. 

MR.  WELCH  was  with  the  men  two  or  three  hun- 
dred yards  away  from  the  house  when  the  Indians 
suddenly  sprang  out  and  opened  fire.  One  of  the 
men  fell  beside  him ;  the  farmer  stooped  to  lift 
him,  but  saw  that  he  was  shot  through  the  head. 
Then  he  ran  with  full  speed  toward  the  house, 
shouting  to  the  hands  to  make  straight  for  the  gate, 
disregarding  the  cattle.  Several  of  these,  however, 
alarmed  at  the  sudden  outburst  of  fire  and  the  yells 
of  the  Indians,  made  of  their  own  accord  for  the 
stables  as  their  master  rushed  up  at  full  speed.  The 
Indians  were  but  fifty  or  sixty  yards  behind  when 
Mr.  Welch  reached  his  gate.  They  had  all  emptied 
their  pieces,  and  after  the  first  volley  no  shots  had 
been  fired  save  one  by  the  watchman  on  the  lookout. 
Then  came  the  crack  of  Pearson's  rifle  just  as  Mr. 
Welch  shut  the  gate  and  laid  the  bar  in  its  place. 
Several  spare  guns  had  been  placed  in  the  upper 
chambers,  and  three  reports  rang  out  together,  for 
Mrs.  Welch  had  run  upstairs  at  the  first  alarm  to 
take  her  part  in  the  defense. 

In  another  minute  the  whole  party,  now  six  in 
all,  were  gathered  in  the  upper  room. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  39 

"  Where  are  Nelly  and  Harold  ?"  Mr.  Welch  ex- 
claimed. 

"  I  saw  the  canoe  close  to  the  shore  just  before 
the  Indians  opened  fire,"  the  watchman  answered. 

"  You  must  have  been  asleep,"  Pearson  said 
savagely.  "  Where  were  your  eyes  to  let  them  red- 
skins crawl  up  through  the  corn  without  seeing 
'em  ?  With  such  a  crowd  of  'em  the  corn  must  have 
been  a- waving  as  if  it  was  blowing  a  gale.  You 
ought  to  have  a  bullet  in  yer  ugly  carkidge,  instead 
of  its  being  in  yer  mate's  out  there." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on  no  one  had 
been  idle.  Each  took  up  his  station  at  a  loop-hole, 
and  several  shots  were  fired  whenever  the  movement 
of  a  blade  of  corn  showed  the  lurking-place  of  an 
Indian. 

The  instant  the  gate  had  been  closed  War  Eagle 
had  called  his  men  back  to  shelter,  for  he  saw  that 
all  chance  of  a  surprise  was  now  over,  and  it  was 
contrary  to  all  redskin  strategy  to  remain  for  one 
moment  unnecessarily  exposed  to  the  rifles  of  the 
whites.  The  farmer  and  his  wife  had  rushed  at 
once  up  into  the  lookout  as  the  Indians  drew  off, 
and  to  their  joy  saw  the  canoe  darting  away  from 
shore. 

"  They  are  safe  for  the  present,  thank  God  !"  Mr. 
Welch  said.  "  It  is  providential  indeed  that  they 
had  not  come  a  little  further  from  the  shore  when 
the  redskins  broke  out.  Nothing  could  have  saved 
them  had  they  fairly  started  for  the  house." 

"  What  will  they  do,  William  ?"  asked  his  wife 
anxiously. 


40  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  my  dear.  I  do  not  know 
what  I  should  do  myself  under  the  circumstances. 
However,  the  boy  has  got  a  cool  head  on  his 
shoulders  and  you  need  not  be  anxious  for  the 
present.  Now  let  us  join  the  others.  Our  first  duty 
is  to  take  our  share  in  the  defense  of  the  house. 
The  young  ones  are  in  the  hands  of  God.  We  can 
do  nothing  for  them." 

"Well?"  Pearson  asked,  looking  round  from  his 
loop-hole  as  the  farmer  and  his  wife  descended  into 
the  room,  which  was  a  low  garret  extending  over 
the  whole  of  the  house.  "  Do  you  see  the  canoe  ?" 
"  Yes,  it  has  got  safely  away,"  William  Welch 
said  ;  "  but  what  that  lad  will  do  now  is  more  than 
I  can  say." 

Pearson  placed  his  rifle  against  the  wall.  "  Now 
keep  your  eyes  skinned,"  he  said  to  the  three  farm 
hands.  "  One  of  yer's  done  mischief  enough  this 
morning  already,  and  you'll  get  your  har  raised  as 
sure  as  you're  born  unless  you  look  out  sharp.  Now," 
he  went  on,  turning  to  the  Welches,  "  let  us  go 
down  and  talk  this  matter  over.  The  Injuns  may 
keep  on  firing,  but  I  don't  think  they'll  show  in 
the  open  again  as  long  as  it's  light  enough  for  us  to 
draw  bead  on  'em.  Yes,"  he  went  on  as  he  looked 
through  a  loop-hole  in  the  lower  story  over  the 
lake,  "  there  they  are,  just  out  of  range." 

"  What  do  you  think  they  will  do  ?"  Mrs.  Welch 
asked. 

The  hunter  was  silent  for  a  minute. 
"  It  ain't  a  easy  thing  to  say  what  they  ought  to 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  41 

do,  much  less  what  they  will  do ;  it  ain't  a  good 
outlook  anyway,  and  I  don't  know  what  I  should 
do  myself.  The  whole  of  the  woods  on  this  side  of 
the  lake  are  full  of  the  darned  red  critters.  There's 
a  hundred  eyes  on  that  canoe  now,  and  go  where 
they  will  they'll  be  watched." 

"But  why  should  they  not  cross  the  lake  and 
land  on  the  other  side  ?"  Mr.  Welch  said. 

"  If  you  and  I  were  in  that  canoe,"  the  hunter 
answered,  "that's  about  what  we  should  do;  but, 
not  to  say  that  it's  a  long  row  for  'em,  they  two 
young  uns  would  never  get  across ;  the  Injuns  would 
have  'em  before  they  had  been  gone  an  hour. 
There's  my  canoe  lying  under  the  bushes ;  she'd 
carry  four  and  would  go  three  feet  to  their  two." 

"  I  had  forgotten  about  that,"  William  Welch 
said,  and  then  added  after  a  pause  :  "  The  Indians 
may  not  find  it." 

"  You  needn't  hope  that,"  the  hunter  answered  ; 
"  they  have  found  it  long  before  this.  I  don't  want 
to  put  you  out  of  heart ;  but  I  tell  ye  ye'll  see  them 
on  the  water  before  many  minutes  have  passed." 

"  Then  they  are  lost,"  Mrs.  Welch  said,  sinking 
down  in  her  chair  and  bursting  into  tears. 

"  They  air  in  God's  hands,  ma'am,"  the  hunter 
said,  "  and  it's  no  use  trying  to  deceive  you." 

"  Would  it  be  of  any  use,"  William  Welch  asked 
after  a  pause,  "  for  me  to  offer  the  redskins  that  my 
wife  and  I  will  go  out  and  put  ourselves  in  their 
hands  if  they  will  let  the  canoe  go  off  without  pur- 
suit?" 


42  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  Not  it,"  the  hunter  replied  decidedly.  "  You 
would  be  throwing  away  your  own  lives  without 
saving  theirs,  not  to  mention,  although  that  doesn't 
matter  a  straw,  the  lives  of  the  rest  of  us  here.  It 
will  be  as  much  as  we  can  do,  when  they  attack  us 
in  earnest,  to  hold  this  place  with  six  guns,  and 
with  only  four  the  chance  would  be  worth  nothing. 
But  that's  neither  here  nor  there.  You  wouldn't 
save  the  young  ones  if  you  gave  up.  You  can't 
trust  the  word  of  an  Injun  on  the  war-path,  and  if 
they  went  so  far  as  not  to  kill  'em  they  would  carry 
'em  off ;  and  after  all  I  ain't  sure  as  death  ain't 
better  for  'era  than  to  be  brought  up  as  Injuns. 
There,"  he  said,  stopping  suddenly  as  a  report  of  a 
musket  sounded  at  some  little  distance  off,  "  the 
Injuns  are  trying  their  range  against  'em.  Let's 
go  up  to  the  lookout." 

The  little  tower  had  a  thick  parapet  of  logs  some 
three  feet  high,  and  crouching  behind  this  they 
watched  the  canoe. 

"  He's  coming  nearer  in  shore,  and  the  girl  has 
got  the  paddle,"  Pearson  muttered.  "  What's  he 
doing  now  ?" 

A  puff  of  smoke  was  seen  to  rise  near  the  border 
of  the  lake,  then  came  the  sharp  crack  of  Harold's 
rifle.  They  saw  an  Indian  spring  from  the  bushes 
and  fall  dead. 

"  Well  done,  young  un,"  Pearson  exclaimed.  "  I 
told  yer  he'd  got  his  head  screwed  on  the  right  way. 
He's  keeping  just  out  of  range  of  their  guns,  and 
that  piece  of  bis  can  carry  twice  as  far  as  theirs.  I 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  43 

reckon  he's  thought  of  the  canoe  and  means  to 
keep  'era  from  using  it.  I  begins  to  think,  Mr. 
Welch,  that  there's  a  chance  for  'em  yet.  Now 
let's  talk  a  little  to  these  red  devils  in  the  corn." 

For  some  little  time  Pearson  and  William  Welch 
turned  their  attention  to  the  Indians,  while  the 
mother  sat  with  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  canoe. 

"  He  is  coming  closer  again,"  she  exclaimed  pres- 
ently. 

"  He's  watching  the  canoe,  sure  enough,"  Pearson 
said.  Then  came  the  volley  along  the  bushes  on 
the  shore,  and  they  saw  an  Indian  rise  to  his  feet. 
"  That's  just  where  she  lies,"  Pearson  exclaimed ; 
"  he's  getting  into  it.  There !  well  done,  young  un." 

The  sudden  disappearance  of  the  Indian  and  the 
vengeful  yell  of  the  hidden  foe  told  of  the  failure 
of  the  attempt. 

"  I  think  they're  safe  now  till  nightfall.  The  In- 
juns won't  care  about  putting  themselves  within 
range  of  that  'ere  rifle  again." 

Gradually  the  fire  of  the  Indians  ceased,  and  the 
defenders  were  able  to  leave  the  loop-holes.  Two 
of  the  men  went  down  and  fastened  up  the  cattle, 
which  were  still  standing  loose  in  the  yard  inside 
the  stockade ;  the  other  set  to  to  prepare  a  meal,  for 
Mrs.  Welch  could  not  take  her  eyes  off  the  canoe. 

The  afternoon   seemed  of  interminable    length 
Not  a  shot  was  fired.     The  men,  after  taking  their 
dinner,  were  occupied  in  bringing  some  great  tubs 
on  to  the  upper  story  and  filling  them  to  the  brim 
with  water  from  the  well. 


44  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

This  story  projected  two  feet  beyond  the  one 
below  it,  having  been  so  built  in  order  that  in  case 
of  attack  the  defenders  might  be  able  to  fire  down, 
upon  any  foe  who  might  cross  the  stockade  and  at- 
tack the  house  itself;  the  floor  boards  over  the 
projecting  portion  were  all  removable.  The  men 
also  brought  a  quantity  of  the  newly  cut  corn  to  the 
top  of  the  house,  first  drenching  it  with  water. 

The  sun  sank,  and  as  dusk  was  coming  on  the 
anxious  watchers  saw  the  canoe  paddle  out  far  into 
the  lake. 

"  An  old  frontiersman  couldn't  do  better,"  Pear- 
son exclaimed.  "He's  kept  them  out  of  the 
canoe  as  long  as  daylight  lasted ;  how  he  has  de- 
termined to  paddle  away  and  is  making  down  the 
lake,"  he  went  on  presently.  "  It's  a  pity  he  turned 
so  soon,  as  they  can  see  the  course  he's  taking." 

They  watched  until  it  was  completely  dark,  but 
before  the  light  quite  faded  they  saw  another  canoe 
put  out  from  shore  and  start  in  the  direction  taken 
by  the  fugitives. 

"  Will  they  catch  them,  do  you  think  ?"  Mrs. 
Welch  asked. 

"  No,  ma'am,"  Pearson  said  confidently.  "  The 
boy's  got  sense  enough  to  have  changed  his  course 
after  it  gets  dark,  though  whether  he'll  make  for 
shore  or  go  out  toward  the  other  side  is  more  than 
I  can  say.  You  see,  they'll  know  that  the  Injuns 
are  all  along  this  side  of  the  lake,  but  then  on  the 
other  hand  they'll  be  anxious  about  us  and'll  want 
to  keep  close  at  hand.  Besides,  the  lad  knows  noth- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  45 

ing  of  the  other  side ;  there  may  be  Injuns  there 
for  aught  he  knows,  and  it's  a  skeary  thing  for  a 
young  un  to  take  to  the  forest,  especially  with  a  gal 
in  his  charge.  There  ain't  no  saying  what  he'll  do. 
And  now  we've  got  to  look  after  ourselves,  don't 
let  us  think  about  'era  at  present.  The  best  thing 
we  can  do  for  them,  as  well  as  for  ourselves,  is  to 
hold  this  here  place.  If  they  live  they'll  come  back 
to  it  sooner  or  later,  and  it'll  be  better  for  'em  to 
find  it  standing  and  you  here  to  welcome  'era  than 
to  get  back  to  a  heap  of  ruins  and  some  dead 
bodies." 

""When  will  the  redskins  attack,  do  you  think?" 
the  farmer  asked. 

"  We  may  expect  'em  any  time  now,"  the  hunter 
answered.  "  The  Injuns'  time  of  attack  is  generally 
just  before  dawn,  but  they  know  well  enough  they 
ain't  likely  to  ketch  us  asleep  any  time,  and  as  they 
know  exactly  what  they  have  got  to  do  they'll  gain 
nothing  by  waiting.  I  wish  we  had  a  moon ;  if  we 
had  we  might  keep  'em  out  of  the  stockade.  But 
there — it's  just  as  well  it's  dark  after  all,  for  if  the 
moon  was  up  the  young  uns  would  have  no  chance 
of  getting  away." 

The  garrison  now  all  took  their  places  at  the  loop- 
holes, having  first  carried  the  wet  fodder  to  the 
roof  and  spread  it  over  the  shingles.  There  was 
nothing  to  do  now  but  to  wait.  The  night  was  so 
dark  that  they  could  not  see  the  outline  of  the 
stockade.  Presently  a  little  spark  shot  through  the 
air,  followed  by  a  score  of  others.  Mr.  "Welch  had 


46  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG, 

taken  his  post  on  the  tower,  and  he  saw  the  arrows 
whizzing  through  the  air,  many  of  them  falling  on 
the  roof.  The  dry  grass  dipped  in  resin  which  was 
tied  round  the  arrow-heads  was  instantly  ex- 
tinguished as  the  arrows  fell  upon  the  wet  corn, 
and  a  yell  arose  from  the  Indians. 

The  farmer  descended  and  told  the  others  of  the 
failure  of  the  Indians'  first  attempt. 

"  That  'ere  dodge  is  a  first-rate  un,"  Pearson  said. 
"  We're  safe  from  fire,  and  that's  the  only  thing 
we've  got  to  be  afeard  on.  You'll  see  'em  up  here 
in  a  few  minutes." 

Everything  was  perfectly  quiet.  Once  or  twice 
the  watchers  thought  that  they  could  hear  faint 
sounds,  but  could  not  distinguish  their  direction. 
After  half  an  hour's  anxious  waiting  a  terrific  yell 
was  heard  from  below,  and  at  the  doors  and  win- 
dows of  the  lower  rooms  came  the  crashing  blows 
of  tomahawks. 

The  boards  had  already  been  removed  from  the 
flooring  above,  and  the  defenders  opened  a  steady 
fire  into  the  dark  mass  that  they  could  faintly  make 
out  clustered  round  the  windows  and  doors.  At 
Pearson's  suggestion  the  bullets  had  been  removed 
from  the  guns  and  heavy  charges  of  buckshot  had 
been  substituted  for  them,  and  yells  of  pain  and 
surprise  rose  as  they  fired.  A  few  shots  were  fired 
up  from  below,  but  a  second  discharge  from  the  spare 
guns  completed  the  effect  from  the  first  volley. 
The  dark  mass  broke  up,  and  in  a  few  seconds  all 
was  as  quiet  as  before, 


TRUE  10  THE  OLD  FLAG.  47 

Two  hours  passed  and  then  slight  sounds  were 
heard. 

"  They've  got  the  gate  opened,  I  expect,"  Pearson 
said.  "  Fire  occasionally  at  that ;  if  we  don't  hit 
'em  the  flashes  may  show  us  what  they're  doing." 

It  was  as  he  had  expected.  The  first  discharge 
was  followed  by  a  cry,  and  by  the  momentary  light 
they  saw  a  number  of  dark  figures  pouring  in 
through  the  gate.  Seeing  that  concealment  was 
no  longer  possible,  the  Indians  opened  a  heavy  fire 
round  the  house  ;  then  came  a  crashing  sound  near 
the  door. 

"  Just  as  I  thought,"  Pearson  said.  "  They're 
going  to  try  to  burn  us  out." 

For  some  time  the  noise  continued  as  bundle  after 
bundle  of  dried  wood  was  thrown  down  by  the 
door.  The  garrison  were  silent,  for,  as  Pearson 
said,  they  could  see  nothing,  and  a  stray  bullet 
might  enter  at  the  loop-holes  if  they  placed  them- 
selves there,  and  the  flashes  of  the  guns  would 
serve  as  marks  for  the  Indians. 

Presently  two  or  three  faint  lights  were  seen  ap- 
proaching. 

"  Now,"  Pearson  said,  "  pick  'em  off  as  they 
come  up.  You  and  I'll  take  the  first  man,  Welch. 
You  fire  just  to  the  right  of  the  light,  I  will  fire  to 
the  left ;  he  may  be  carrying  the  brand  in  either 
hand." 

They  fired  together  and  the  brand  was  seen  to 
drop  to  the  ground.  The  same  thing  happened  as 
the  other  two  sparks  of  light  approached  ;  then  it 


48  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG, 

was  again  quiet.  Now  a  score  of  little  lights 
flashed  through  the  air. 

"  They're  going  to  light  the  pile  with  their  flam- 
ing arrows,"  Pearson  said.  "  War  Eagle  is  a  good 
'  leader." 

Three  or  four  of  the  arrows  fell  on  the  pile  of 
dry  wood.  A  moment  later  the  flames  crept  up  and 
the  smoke  of  burning  wood  rolled  up  into  the  room 
above.  A  yell  of  triumph  burst  from  the  Indians, 
but  this  changed  into  one  of  wrath  as  those  above 
emptied  the  contents  of  one  of  the  great  tubs  of 
water  on  to  the  pile  of  wood  below  them.  The 
flames  were  instantly  extinguished. 

"  What  will  they  do  next  ?''  Mrs.  Welch  asked. 

"  It's  like  enough,"  Pearson  replied,  "  that  they'll 
give  the  job  up  altogether.  They've  got  plenty  of 
plunder  and  scalps  at  the  settlements,  and  their  at- 
tacking us  here  in  such  force  looks  as  if  the  hull  of 
'em  were  on  their  way  back  to  their  villages.  If 
they  could  have  tuk  our  scalps  easy  they  would 
have  done  it ;  but  War  Eagle  ain't  likely  to  risk 
losing  a  lot  of  men  when  he  ain't  sartin  of  winning 
after  all.  He  has  done  good  work  as  it  is  and  has 
quite  enough  to  boast  about  when  he  gits  back.  If 
he  were  to  lose  a  heap  of  his  braves  here  it  would 
spoil  the  success  of  his  expedition.  N"o,  I  think  as 
he  will  give  it  up  now." 

"  He  will  be  all  the  more  anxious  to  catch  the 
children,"  Mrs.  Welch  said  despondently. 

"  It  can't  be  denied,  ma'am,  as  he  will  do  his  best 
that  way,"  Pearson  answered.  "It  all  depends, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  40 

though,  on  the  boy.  I  wish  I  was  with  him  in  that 
canoe.  Howsomever,  I  can't  help  thinking  as  he 
will  sarcumvent  'em  somehow." 

The  night  passed  without  any  further  attack. 
By  turns  half  the  garrison  watched  while  the  other 
la}r  down,  but  there  was  little  sleep  taken  by  any. 
With  the  first  gleam  of  daylight  Mrs.  Welch  and 
her  husband  were  on  the  lookout. 

"  There's  two  canoes  out  on  the  lake,"  Pearson 
said.  "  They're  paddling  quietly;  which  is  which 
I  can't  say." 

As  the  light  became  brighter  Pearson  pronounced 
postively  that  there  were  three  men  in  one  canoe 
and  four  in  the  other. 

"I  think  they're  all  Injuns,"  he  said.  "They 
must  have  got  another  canoe  somewhere  along  the 
lake.  Waal,  they've  not  caught  the  young  uns 
yet." 

"  The  boats  are  closing  up  to  each  other,"  Mrs. 
Welch  said. 

"  They're  going  to  have  a  talk,  I  reckon.  Yes, 
one  of  'em's  turning  and  going  down  the  lake,  while 
the  other's  going  up.  I'd  give  a  heap  to  know 
where  the  young  uns  have  got  to." 

The  day  passed  quietly.  An  occasional  shot  to- 
ward the  house  showed  that  the  Indians  remained 
in  the  vicinity,  and  indeed  dark  forms  could  be  seen 
moving  about  in  the  distant  parts  of  the  clearing. 

"  Will  it  be  possible,"  the  farmer  asked  Pearson 
when  night  again  fell,  "  to  go  out  and  see  if  we  can 
discover  any  traces  of  them  ?" 


50  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

""Worse  than  no  use,"  Pearson  said  positively. 
"  We  should  just  lose  our  har  without  doing  no  good 
whatever.  If  the  Injuns  in  these  woods — and  I 
reckon  altogether  there's  a  good  many  hundred  of 
'em — can't  find  'em,  ye  may  swear  that  we  can't. 
That's  just  what  they're  hoping,  that  we'll  be  fools 
enough  to  put  ourselves  outside  the  stockade. 
They'll  lie  close  round  all  night,  and  a  weasel 
wouldn't  creep  through  'em.  Ef  I  thought  there 
was  jest  a  shadow  of  chance  of  finding  them  young 
uns  I'd  risk  it,  but  there's  no  chance — not  a  bit  of 
it." 

A  vigilant  watch  was  again  kept  up  all  night,  but 
all  was  still  and  quiet.  The  next  morning  the 
Indians  were  still  round  them. 

"  Don't  ye  fret,  ma'am  !"  Pearson  said  as  he  saw 
how  pale  and  wan  Mrs.  Welch  looked  in  the  morn- 
ing light.  "  You  may  bet  your  last  shilling  that 
they've  not  caught  'em." 

"Why  are  you  so  sure?"  Mrs.  Welch  asked. 
"  They  may  be  dead  by  this  time." 

"  Not  they,  ma'am.  I'm  as  sartin  as  they're  liv- 
ing and  free  as  I  am  that  I'm  standing  here.  I 
know  these  Injuns'  ways.  Ef  they  had  caught  'em 
they'd  jest  have  brought  'em  here  and  would  have 
fixed  up  two  posts,  jest  out  of  rifle  range,  and 
would  have  tied  them  there  and  offered  you  the 
choice  of  giving  up  this  place  and  your  scalps  or  of 
seeing  them  tortured  and  burned  under  your  eyes. 
That's  their  way.  No,  they  ain't  caught  'em  alive, 
nor  they  ain't  caught  'em  dead  neither ;  for  ef  they 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  51 

had  they'd  have  brought  their  scalps  to  have  shown 
yer.  No,  they've  got  away,  though  it  beats  me  to 
say  how.  I've  only  got  one  fear,  and  that  is  that 
they  might  come  back  before  the  Injuns  have  gone. 
Now  I  tell  ye  what  we  had  better  do — we  better 
keep  up  a  dropping  fire  all  night  and  all  day  fcx 
morrow  and  so  on  until  the  redskins  have  gone.  Ef 
the  young  uns  come  back  across  the  lake  at  night 
and  all  is  quiet  they'll  think  the  Injuns  have  taken 
themselves  off,  but  if  they  hear  firing  still  going  on 
they'll  know  well  enough  that  they're  still  around 
the  house. ' 

"William  "Welch  at  once  agreed  to  this  plan,  and 
every  quarter  of  an  hour  or  so  all  through  the 
night  a  few  shots  were  fired. 

The  next  morning  no  Indians  could  be  seen,  and 
there  was  a  cessation  of  the  dropping  shots  which 
had  before  been  kept  up  at  the  house. 

"  They  may  be  in  hiding,"  Pearson  said  in  the 
afternoon,  "  trying  to  tempt  us  out ;  but  I'm  more 
inclined  to  think  as  how  they've  gone.  I  don't  see 
a  blade  of  that  corn  move ;  I've  had  my  eyes  fixed 
on  it  for  the  last  two  hours.  It  are  possible,  of 
course,  that  they're  there,  but  I  reckon  not.  I  ex- 
pect they've  been  waiting  ever  since  they  gave  up 
the  attack,  in  hopes  that  the  young  uns  would  come 
back  ;  but  now  as  they  see  that  we're  keeping  up  a 
fire  to  tell  them  as  how  they're  still  round  us, 
they've  given  it  up  and  gone.  When  it  gets  dark 
to-night  I'll  go  out  and  scout  round." 

At  ten  o'clock  at  night  Pearson  dropped  lightly 


52  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

from  the  stockade  on  the  side  opposite  to  the  gate, 
as  he  knew  that  if  the  Indians  were  there  this 
would  be  the  point  that  they  would  be  watching ; 
then  crawling  upon  his  stomach  he  made  his  way 
slowly  down  to  the  lake.  Entering  the  water  and 
stooping  low,  he  waded  along  by  the  edge  of  the 
bushes  for  a  distance  of  a  mile ;  then  he  left  the 
water  and  struck  into  the  forest.  Every  few  min- 
utes he  could  hear  the  discharges  of  the  rifles  at  the 
house,  but,  as  before,  no  answering  shots  were 
heard.  Treading  very  cautiously,  he  made  a  wide 
detour  and  then  came  down  again  on  the  clearing  at 
the  end  furthest  from  the  lake,  where  the  Indians 
had  been  last  seen  moving  about.  All  was  still. 
Keeping  among  the  trees  and  moving  with  great 
caution,  he  made  his  way  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance along  the  edge  of  the  clearing ;  then  he 
dropped  on  his  hands  and  knees  and  entered  the 
corn-field,  and  for  two  hours  he  crawled  about, 
quartering  the  ground  like  a  dog  in  search  of  game. 
Everywhere  he  found  lines  where  the  Indians  had 
crawled  along  to  the  edge  nearest  to  the  house,  but 
nowhere  did  he  discover  a  sign  of  life.  Then,  still 
taking  great  care,  he  moved  down  toward  the  house 
and  made  a  circuit  of  it  at  a  short  distance  outside 
the  stockade  ;  then  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  Yer  may  stop  shooting,"  he  shouted.  "  The 
pesky  rascals  are  gone." 

Then  he  walked  openly  up  to  the  gate ;  it  was 
opened  at  once  by  William  Welch. 

"  Are  you  sure  they  have  gone  ?"  he  asked. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  53 

"  Sure  as  gospel,"  he  answered,  "  and  they've  been 
gone  twenty-four  hours  at  least." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?" 

"  Easy  enough.  I  found  several  of  their  cooking- 
places  in  the  woods  ;  the  brands  were  out,  and  even 
under  the  ashes  the  ground  was  cold,  so  they  must 
have  been  out  for  a  long  time.  I  could  have  walked 
straight  on  to  the  house  then,  but  I  thought  it  safer 
to  make  quite  sure  by  searching  everywhere,  for 
they  might  have  moved  deeper  into  the  forest  and 
left  a  few  men  on  guard  here  in  case  the  young  uns 
should  come  back.  But  it  ain't  so ;  they've  gone, 
and  there  ain't  a  living  soul  anywhere  nigh  the 
clearing.  The  young  uns  can  come  back  now,  if 
they  will,  safely  enough." 

Before  doing  anything  else  the  farmer  assembled 
the  party  together  in  the  living-room,  and  there 
solemnly  offered  up  thanks  to  God  for  their  deliver- 
ance from  danger  and  implored  his  protection  for 
the  absent  ones.  When  this  was  over  he  said  to  his 
wife: 

"  Now,  Jane,  you  had  better  lie  down  and  get  a 
few  hours'  sleep.  It  is  already  two  o'clock,  and 
there  is  no  chance  whatever  of  their  returning  to- 
night, but  I  shall  go  down  to  the  lake  and  wait  till 
morning.  Place  candles  in  two  of  the  upper  win- 
dows. Should  they  be  out  on  the  lake  they  will  see 
them  and  know  that  the  Indians  have  not  taken  the 
house." 

Morning  came  without  any  signs  of  the  absent 
ones.  At  daybreak  Pearson  went  out  to  scout  in 


54  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  woods,  and  returned  late  in  the  afternoon  with 
the  news  that  the  Indians  had  all  departed,  and  that 
for  a  distance  of  ten  miles  at  least  the  woods  were 
entirely  free. 

When  it  became  dark  the  farmer  again  went 
down  to  the  lake  and  watched  until  two,  when 
Pearson  took  his  place.  Mr.  Welch  was  turning  to 
go  back  to  the  house  whsn  Pearson  placed  his  hand 
on  his  shoulder. 

"  Listen !"  he  said,  and  for  a  minute  the  men  stood 
immovable. 

"  What  was  it  ?"  the  farmer  asked. 

"I  thought  I  heard  the  stroke  of  a  paddle," 
Pearson  said  ;  "  it  might  have  been  the  jump  of  a 
fish.  There  !  there  it  is  again !"  He  lay  down  and 
put  his  ear  close  to  the  water.  "  There's  a  canoe 
in  the  lake  to  the  north'ard.  I  can  hear  the  strokes 
of  the  paddle  plainly." 

Mr.  Welch  could  hear  nothing.  Some  minutes 
passed,  then  Pearson  exclaimed  : 

"  There  !  I  saw  a  break  in  the  water  over  there ! 
There  it  is !"  he  said,  straining  his  eyes  in  the  dark- 
ness. "  That's  a  canoe,  sure  enough,  although  they 
have  ceased  paddling.  It's  not  a  mile  away." 

Then  he  arose  to  his  feet  and  shouted  "  Halloo  !" 
at  the  top  of  his  voice.  An  answering  shout  faintly 
came  back  across  the  water.  He  again  hailed 
loudly,  and  this  time  the  answer  came  in  a  female 
voice. 

"  It's  them,  sure  enough.  I  can  swear  to  Nelly's 
voice." 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  55 

William  Welch  uncovered  his  head  and,  putting 
his  hand  before  his  face,  returned  fervent  thanks  to 
God  for  the  recovery  of  his  child.  Then  he  dashed 
off  at  full  speed  toward  the  house.  Before  he 
reached  it,  however,  he  met  his  wife  running  down 
to  meet  him,  the  shouts  having  informed  her  that 
something  was  seen.  Hand  in  hand  they  ran  down 
to  the  water's  edge.  The  canoe  was  now  swiftlj 
approaching.  The  mother  screamed : 

"Kelly,  is  that  you?" 

"Mamma !  mamma !"  came  back  in  the  girl's  clear 
tones. 

With  a  low  cry  of  gladness  Mrs.  Welch  fell 
senseless  to  the  ground.  The  strain  which  she  had 
for  four  days  endured  had  been  terrible,  and  even 
the  assurances  of  Pearson  had  failed  to  awaken  any 
strong  feeling  of  hope  in  her  heart.  She  had  kept 
up  bravely  and  had  gone  about  her  work  in  the 
house  with  a  pale,  set  face,  but  the  unexpected  relief 
was  too  much  for  her. 

Two  minutes  later  the  bow  of  the  canoe  grated 
on  the  shore  and  Nelly  leaped  into  her  father's 
arms. 

"  Where  is  mamma  ?"  she  exclaimed. 

"  She  is  here,  my  dear,  but  she  has  fainted.  The 
joy  of  your  return  has  been  too  much  for  her." 

Nelly  knelt  beside  her  mother  and  raised  her 
head,  and  the  farmer  grasped  Harold's  hand. 

"  My  brave  boy,"  he  said,  "  I  have  to  thank  you 
for  saving  my  child's  life.  God  bless  you  !" 

He  dipped  his  hat  in   the  lake  and  sprinkled 


56  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

water  in  his  wife's  face.  She  soon  recovered,  and  a 
few  minutes  afterward  the  happy  party  walked  up 
to  the  house,  Mrs.  "Welch  being  assisted  by  her  hus- 
band and  Pearson.  The  two  young  ones  were 
soon  seated  at  a  table  ravenously  devouring  food, 
and  when  their  hunger  was  satisfied  they  related 
the  story  of  their  adventures,  the  whole  of  the  gar- 
rison being  gathered  round  to  listen.  After  relat- 
ing what  had  taken  place  up  to  the  time  of  their 
hiding  the  canoe,  Harold  went  on  : 

"  We  walked  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  until  we 
came  to  a  large  clump  of  underwood.  We  crept  in 
there,  taking  great  pains  not  to  break  a  twig  or 
disturb  a  leaf.  The  ground  was  fortunately  very 
dry,  and  I  could  not  see  that  our  footprints  had  left 
the  smallest  marks.  There  we  have  lain  hid  ever 
since.  We  had  the  fish  and  the  berries,  and  for- 
tunately the  fruit  was  ripe  and  juicy  and  quenched 
our  thirst  well  enough,  and  we  could  sometimes 
hear  the  firing  by  day  and  always  at  night.  On  the 
day  we  took  refuge  we  heard  the  voices  of  the 
Indians  down  toward  the  lake  quite  plainly,  but  we 
have  heard  nothing  of  them  since.  Last  night  we 
heard  the  firing  up  to  the  middle  of  the  night,  and 
then  it  suddenly  stopped.  To-day  I  crept  out  and 
went  down  to  the  lake  to  listen,  but  it  seemed  that 
everything  was  still.  Nelly  was  in  a  terrible  way 
and  was  afraid  that  the  house  had  been  taken  by  the 
Indians,  but  I  told  her  that  could  not  be,  for  that 
there  would  certainly  have  been  a  tremendous  lot 
of  firing  at  last,  whereas  it  stopped  after  a  few  shots, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  5? 

just  as  it  had  been  going  on  so  long.  Our  provi- 
sions were  all  gone  and  Nelly  was  getting  very  bad 
for  want  of  water.  I  of  course  got  a  drink  at  the 
lake  this  morning.  So  we  agreed  that  if  everything 
was  still  again  to-night  we  would  go  back  to  the 
place  where  we  bad  hidden  the  canoe,  launch  it, 
and  paddle  here.  Everything  was  quiet,  so  we 
came  along  as  we  had  arranged.  When  I  saw  the 
lights  in  the  windows  I  made  sure  all  was  right; 
still  it  was  a  great  relief  when  I  heard  the  shout 
from  the  shore.  I  knew,  of  course,  that  it  wasn't  a 
redskin's  shout.  Besides,  Indians  would  have  kept 
quiet  till  we  came  alongside." 

Yery  hearty  were  the  commendations  bestowed 
on  the  boy  for  his  courage  and  thoughtfulness. 

"  You  behaved  like  an  old  frontiersman,"  Pear- 
son said.  "  I  couldn't  have  done  better  myself. 
You  only  made  one  blunder  from  the  time  you  set 
out  from  shore." 

"  What  was  that  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"  You  were  wrong  to  pick  the  berries.  The  red- 
skins, of  course,  would  find  where  you  had  landed, 
they'd  see  the  marks  where  you  lay  down,  and 
would  know  that  you  had  paddled  away  again. 
Had  it  not  been  for  their  seeing  the  tracks  you 
made  in  picking  the  berries  they  might  have  sup- 
posed you  had  started  before  daybreak  and  had 
gone  out  of  sight  across  the  lake  ;  but  them  marks 
would  have  shown  'em  that  you  did  not  take  to 
your  canoe  until  long  after  the  sun  was  up,  and 
therefore  that  you  couldn't  have  made  across  the 


58  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

lake  without  their  seeing  you,  but  must  either  have 
landed  or  be  in  your  canoe  under  shelter  of  the 
trees  somewhere  along  the  shore.  It's  a  marvel  to 
me  that  they  didn't  find  your  traces,  however  care- 
ful you  were  to  conceal  'em.  But  that's  the  only 
error  you  made,  and  I  tell  you,  young  un,  you  have 
a  right  to  be  proud  of  having  outwitted  a  hull  tribe 
of  redskins." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  59 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   FIGHT   AT    LEXINGTON. 

HAROLD  remained  for  four  months  longer  with 
his  cousin.  The  Indians  had  made  several  attacks 
upon  settlements  at  other  points  of  the  frontier,  but 
they  had  not  repeated  their  incursion  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  lake.  The  farming  operations  had 
gone  on  regularly,  but  the  men  always  worked  with 
their  rifles  ready  to  their  hand.  Pearson  had  pre- 
dicted that  the  Indians  were  not  likely  to  return  to 
that  neighborhood.  Mr.  Welch's  farm  was  the  only 
one  along  the  lake  that  had  escaped,  and  the  loss 
the  Indians  had  sustained  in  attacking  it  had  been 
so  heavy  that  they  were  not  likely  to  make  an  ex- 
pedition in  that  quarter,  where  the  chances  of  booty 
were  so  small  and  the  certainty  of  a  desperate  re- 
sistance so  great. 

Other  matters  occurred  which  rendered  the  re- 
newal of  the  attack  improbable.  The  news  was 
brought  by  a  wandering  hunter  that  a  quarrel  had 
arisen  between  the  Shawnees  and  the  Iroquois,  and 
that  the  latter  had  recalled  their  braves  from  the 
frontier  to  defend  their  own  villages  in  case  of  hos- 
tilities breaking  out  between  them  and  the  rival 
tribe. 


60  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

There  was  no  occasion  for  Harold  to  wait  for 
news  from  home,  for  his  father  had  before  starting 
definitely  fixed  the  day  for  his  return,  and  when 
that  time  approached  Harold  started  on  his  east- 
ward journey,  in  order  to  be  at  home  about  the  date 
of  their  arrival.  Pearson  took  him  in  his  canoe  to 
the  end  of  the  lake  and  accompanied  him  to  the  set- 
tlement, whence  he  was  able  to  obtain  a  conveyance 
to  Detroit.  Here  he  took  a  passage  in  a  trading 
boat  and  made  his  way  by  water  to  Montreal,  thence 
down  through  Lake  Champlain  and  the  Hudson 
River  to  New  York,  and  thence  to  Boston. 

The  journey  had  occupied  him  longer  than  he 
expected,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were  already  in 
their  home  at  Concord  when  he  arrived.  The 
meeting  was  a  joyful  one.  His  parents  had  upon 
their  return  home  found  letters  from  Mr.  Welch 
and  his  wife  describing  the  events  which  had  hap- 
pened at  the  farm,  speaking  in  the  highest  terms  of 
the  courage  and  coolness  in  danger  which  Harold 
had  displayed,  and  giving  him  full  credit  for  the 
saving  of  their  daughter's  life. 

Upon  the  day  after  Harold's  return  two  gentle- 
men called  upon  Captain  Wilson  and  asked  him  to 
sign  the  agreement  which  a  number  of  colonists  had 
entered  into  to  resist  the  mother  country  to  the 
last.  This  Captain  Wilson  positively  refused  to  do. 

•'*  I  am  an  Englishman,"  he  said,  "  and  my  sympa- 
thies are  wholly  with  my  country.  I  do  not  say 
that  the  whole  of  the  demands  of  England  are  justifi- 
able. I  think  that  Parliament  has  been  deceived  as 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  61 

to  the  spirit  existing  here.  But  I  consider  that 
it  has  done  nothing  whatever  to  justify  the  attitude 
of  the  colonists.  The  soldiers  of  England  have 
fought  for  you  against  French  and  Indians  and  are 
still  stationed  here  to  protect  you.  The  colonists 
pay  nothing  for  their  land ;  they  pay  nothing  to- 
ward the  expenses  of  the  government  of  the  mother 
country;  and  it  appears  to  me  to  be  perfectly  just 
that  people  here,  free  as  they  are  from  all  the  bur- 
dens that  bear  so  heavily  on  those  at  home,  should 
at  least  bear  the  expense  of  the  army  stationed 
here.  I  grant  that  it  would  have  been  far  better 
had  the  colonists  taxed  themselves  to  pay  the  extra 
amount,  instead  of  the  mother  country  taxing  them  ; 
but  this  they  would  not  do.  Some  of  the  colonists 
paid  their  quota,  others  refused  to  do  so,  and  this 
being  the  case,  it  appears  to  me  that  England  is 
perfectly  justified  in  laying  on  a  tax.  Nothing 
could  have  been  fairer  than  the  tax  that  she  pro- 
posed. The  stamp-tax  would  in  no  way  have  affect- 
ed the  poorer  classes  in  the  colonies.  It  would 
have  been  borne  only  by  the  rich  and  by  those 
engaged  in  such  business  transactions  as  required 
stamped  documents..  I  regard  the  present  rebellion 
as  the  work  of  a  clique  of  ambitious  men  who  have 
stirred  up  the  people  by  incendiary  addresses  and 
writings.  There  are,  of  course,  among  them  a  large 
number  of  the  men — among  them,  gentlemen,  I 
place  you — who  conscientiously  believe  that  they 
are  justified  in  doing  nothing  whatever  for  the  land 
which  gave  them  or  their  ancestors  birth,  who 


62  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

would  enjoy  all  the  great  natural  wealth  of  this 
vast  country  without  contributing  toward  the  ex- 
pense of  the  troops  to  whom  it  is  due  that  you  en  joy 
peace  and  tranquillity.  Such,  gentlemen,  are  not 
my  sentiments.  You  consider  it  a  gross  hardship 
that  the  colonists  are  compelled  to  trade  only  with 
the  mother  country.  I  grant  that  it  would  be  more 
profitable  and  better  for  us  had  we  an  open  trade 
with  the  whole  world  ;  but  in  this  England  only 
acts  as  do  all  other  countries  toward  their  colonies. 
France,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  the  Netherlands  all 
monopolize  the  trade  of  their  colonies ;  all,  far  more 
than  does  England,  regard  their  colonies  as  sources 
of  revenue.  I  repeat,  I  do  not  think  that  the 
course  that  England  has  pursued  toward  us  has 
been  always  wise,  but  I  am  sure  that  nothing  that 
she  has  done  justifies  the  spirit  of  disaffection  and 
rebellion  which  is  ripe  throughout  these  colonies." 

"  The  time  will  come,  sir,"  one  of  the  gentlemen 
said,  "  when  you  will  have  reason  to  regret  the  line 
which  you  have  now  taken." 

"  No,  sir,"  Captain  Wilson  said  haughtily.  "  The 
time  may  come  when  the  line  that  I  have  taken  may 
cost  me  my  fortune,  and  even  my  life,  but  it  will 
never  cause  me  one  moment's  regret  that  I  have 
chosen  the  part  of  a  loyal  English  gentleman." 

When  the  deputation  had  departed  Harold,  who 
had  been  a  wondering  listener  to  the  conversation, 
asked  his  father  to  explain  to  him  the  exact  position 
in  which  matters  stood. 

It  was  indeed  a  serious  one.    The  success  of  Eng- 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  63 

land  in  her  struggle  with  France  for  the  supremacy 
of  North  America  had  cost  her  a  great  deal  of 
money.  At  home  the  burdens  of  the  people  were 
extremely  heavy.  The  expense  of  the  army  and 
navy  was  great,  and  the  ministry,  in  striving  to 
lighten  the  burdens  of  the  people,  turned  their  eyes 
to  the  colonies.  They  saw  in  America  a  population 
of  over  two  million  people,  subjects  of  the  king,  like 
themselves,  living  free  from  rent  and  taxes  on  their 
own  land  and  paying  nothing  whatever  to  the  ex- 
penses of  the  country.  They  were,  it  is  true,  forced 
to  trade  with  England,  but  this  obligation  was  set 
wholly  at  naught.  A  gigantic  system  of  smuggling 
was  carried  on.  The  custom-house  officials  had  no 
force  at  their  disposal  which  would  have  enabled 
them  to  check  these  operations,  and  the  law  enforc- 
ing a  trade  with  England  was  virtually  a  dead  letter. 

Their  first  step  was  to  strengthen  the  naval  force 
on  the  American  coast  and  by  additional  vigilance 
to  put  some  sort  of  check  on  the  wholesale  smug- 
gling which  prevailed.  This  step  caused  extreme 
discontent  among  the  trading  classes  of  America, 
and  these  set  to  work  vigorously  to  stir  up  a  strong 
feeling  of  disaffection  against  England.  The  rev- 
enue officers  were  prevented  sometimes  by  force 
from  carrying  out  their  duties. 

After  great  consideration  the  English  government 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  revenue  sufficient  to 
pay  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  cost  of  the 
army  in  America  might  be  raised  by  means  of  a 
stamp-tax  imposed  upon  all  legal  documents,  re- 


64  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

ceipts,  agreements,  and  licenses — a  tax,  in  fact, 
resembling  that  on  stamps  now  in  use  in  England. 
The  colonists  were  furious  at  the  imposition  of  this 
tax.  A  Congress,  composed  of  deputies  from  each 
State,  met,  and  it  was  unanimously  resolved  that 
the  stamp-tax  should  not  be  paid.  Meetings  were 
everywhere  held,  at  which  the  strongest  and  most 
treasonable  language  was  uttered,  and  such  violent 
threats  were  used  against  the  persons  employed  as 
stamp-collectors  that  these,  in  fear  of  their  lives,  re- 
signed their  posts. 

The  stamp-tax    remained    uncollected  and   was 
treated  by  the  colonists  as  if  it  were  not  in  existence. 
The  whole  of  the  States  now  began  to  prepare  for 
war.     The  Congress  was  made  permanent,  the  mili- 
tia drilled  and  prepared  for  fighting,  and  everywhere 
the  position  grew  more  and  more  strained.     Massa- 
chusetts was  the  headquarters  of  disaffection,  and 
here  a  total   break  with  the  mother  country  was 
openly  spoken  of.     At  times  the   more   moderate 
spirits  attempted  to  bring  about  a  reconciliation  be- 
tween the  two  parties.     Petitions  were  sent  to  the 
houses  of  Parliament,  and  even  at  this  time  had  any 
spirit  of  wisdom  prevailed  in  England  the  final  con- 
sequences might  have  been   prevented.     Unfortu- 
nately the  majority  in  Parliament  were  unable  to 
recognize  that  the  colonists  had   any  rights  upon 
their  side.     Taxation  was  so   heavy  at  home  that 
men  felt  indignant  that  they  should  be  called  upon 
to  pay  for  the  keeping  up  of  the  army  in  America, 
to  which  the  uutaxed  colonists,   with   their  free 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  65 

farms  and  houses,  would  contribute  nothing.  The 
plea  of  the  colonists  that  they  were  taxed  by  a 
chamber  in  which  they  were  unrepresented  was  an- 
swered by  the  statement  that  such  was  also  the  case 
with  Manchester,  Leeds,  and  many  other  large 
towns  which  were  unrepresented  in  Parliament. 

In  England  neither  the  spirit  nor  the  strength  of 
the  colonists  was  understood.  Men  could  not  bring 
themselves  to  believe  that  these  would  fight  rather 
than  submit,  still  less  that  if  they  did  fight  it  would 
be  successfully.  They  ignored  the  fact  that  the 
population  of  the  States  was  one-fourth  as  large  as 
that  of  England  ;  that  by  far  the  greater  proportion 
of  that  population  were  men  trained,  either  in  bor- 
der warfare  or  in  the  chase,  to  the  use  of  the  rifle  ; 
that  the  enormous  extent  of  country  offered  almost 
insuperable  obstacles  to  the  most  able  army  com- 
posed of  regular  troops,  and  that  the  vast  forests 
and  thinly  populated  country  were  all  in  favor  of  a 
population  fighting  as  guerrillas  against  trained 
troops.  Had  they  perceived  these  things  the 
English  people  would  have  hesitated  before  em 
barking  upon  such  a  struggle,  even  if  convinced, 
as  assuredly  the  great  majority  were  convinced,  of 
the  fairness  of  their  demands.  It  is  true  that  even 
had  England  at  this  point  abandoned  altogether  her 
determination  to  raise  taxes  in  America  the  result 
would  probably  have  been  the  same.  The  spirit  of 
disaffection  in  the  colony  had  gone  so  far  that  a 
retreat  would  have  been  considered  as  a  confession 
of  weakness,  and  a  separation  of  the  colonists  from 


66  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  mother  country  would  have  happened  ere  many 
years  had  elapsed.  As  it  was,  Parliament  agreed 
to  let  the  stamp-tax  drop,  and  in  its  place  established 
some  import  duties  on  goods  entering  the  American 
ports. 

The  colonists,  however,  were  determined  that 
they  would  submit  to  no  taxation  whatever.  The 
English  government,  in  its  desire  for  peace,  aban- 
doned all  the  duties  with  the  exception  of  that 
on  tea ;  but  even  this  concession  was  not  sufficient 
to  satisfy  the  colonists.  These  entered  into  a  bond 
to  use  no  English  goods.  A  riot  took  place  at 
Boston,  and  the  revenue  officers  were  forced  to 
withdraw  from  their  posts.  Troops  were  dispatched 
from  England  and  the  House  of  Commons  declared 
Massachusetts  to  be  in  a  state  of  rebellion. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  colonists  were 
by  any  means  unanimous  in  their  resistance  to  Eng- 
land. There  were  throughout  the  country  a  large 
number  of  gentlemen,  like  Captain  "Wilson,  wholly 
opposed  to  the  general  feeling.  New  York  refused 
to  send  members  to  the  Congress,  and  in  many 
other  provinces  the  adhesion  given  to  the  disaffected 
movement  was  but  lukewarm.  It  was  in  the 
New  England  provinces  that  the  spirit  of  re- 
bellion was  hottest.  These  States  had  been  peopled 
for  the  most  part  by  Puritans — men  who  had  left 
England  voluntarily,  exiling  themselves  rather  than 
submit  to  the  laws  and  religion  of  the  country,  and 
among  them,  as  among  a  portion  of  the  Irish 
population  of  America  at  the  present  time,  the  feel- 


TRUE  TO  TEJS  OLD  FLAG.  6? 

ing  of  hatred  against  the  government  of  England 
was,  in  a  way,  hereditary. 

So  far  but  few  acts  of  violence  had  taken  place. 
Nothing  could  be  more  virulent  than  the  language 
of  the  newspapers  of  both  parties  against  their 
opponents.,  but  beyond  a  few  isolated  tumults  the 
peace  had  not  been  broken.  It  was  the  lull  before 
the  storm.  The  great  majority  of  the  New  Eng- 
land colonists  were  bent  upon  obtaining  nothing 
short  of  absolute  independence ;  the  loyalists  and 
the  English  were  as  determined  to  put  down  any 
revolt  by  force. 

The  Congress  drilled,  armed,  and  organized  ;  the 
English  brought  over  fresh  troops  and  prepared  for 
the  struggle.  It  was  December  when  Harold  re- 
turned home  to  his  parents,  and  for  the  next  three 
months  the  lull  before  the  storm  continued. 

The  disaffected  of  Massachusetts  had  collected  a 
large  quantity  of  military  stores  at  Concord.  These 
General  Gage,  who  commanded  the  troops  at 
Boston,  determined  to  seize  and  destroy,  seeing  that 
they  could  be  collected  only  for  use  against  the 
government,  and  on  the  night  of  April  19  the 
grenadier  and  light  infantry  companies  of  the  various 
regiments,  eight  hundred  strong,  under  command  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Smith,  of  the  Tenth  Regiment, 
and  Major  Pitcairne,  of  the  marines,  embarked  in 
boats  and  were  conveyed  up  Charles  River  as  far  as 
a  place  called  Phipp's  Farm.  There  they  landed  at 
midnight,  having  a  day's  provisions  in  their  haver- 
sacks, and  started  on  their  march  to  Concord, 
twenty  miles  distant  from  Boston. 


6$  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

The  design  had  been  discovered  by  some  of  the 
revolutionary  party  in  the  town,  and  two  of  their 
number  were  dispatched  on  horseback  to  rouse  the 
whole  country  on  the  way  to  Concord,  where  the 
news  arrived  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Captain  Wilson  and  his  household  were  startled 
from  sleep  by  the  sudden  ringing  of  the  alarm-bells, 
and  a  negro  servant,  Pompey,  who  had  been  for 
many  years  in  their  service,  was  sent  down  into  the 
town,  which  lay  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  house, 
to  find  out  what  was  the  news.  He  returned  in 
half  an  hour. 

"  Me  tink  all  de  people  gone  mad,  massa.  Dey 
swarming  out  of  deir  houses  and  filling  de  streets, 
all  wid  guns  on  deir  shoulders,  all  de  while  shout- 
ing and  halloing  *  Down  wid  de  English  !  Down 
wid  de  red-coats  !  dey  shan't  have  our  guns ;  dey 
shan't  take  de  cannon  and  de  powder.'  Dere  were 
ole  Massa  Bill  Emerson,  the  preacher,  wid  his  gun 
in  his  hands,  shouting  to  de  people  to  stand  firm 
and  to  fight  till  de  last ;  dey  all  shout,  '  We  will.' 
Dey  bery  desperate ;  me  fear  great  fight  come  on." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  father?"  Harold 
asked. 

"  Nothing,  my  boy.  If,  as  it  is  only  too  likely, 
this  is  the  beginning  of  a  civil  war,  I  have  deter- 
mined to  offer  my  services  to  the  government. 
Great  numbers  of  loyalists  have  sent  in  their  names 
offering  to  serve  if  necessary,  and  from  my  knowl- 
edge of  drill  I  shall,  of  course,  be  useful.  To-day  I 
can  take  no  active  part  in  the  fight,  but  I  shall  take 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  &$ 

my  horse  and  ride  forward  to  meet  the  troops  and 
warn  the  commanding  officer  that  resistance  will  be 
attempted  here." 

"  May  I  go  with  you,  father?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  like,  my  boy.  Pompey,  saddle  two 
horses  at  once.  You  are  not  afraid  of  being  left 
alone,  Mary  ?"  he  said,  turning  to  his  wife.  "  There 
is  no  chance  of  any  disturbance  here.  Our  house 
lies  beyond  the  town,  and  whatever  takes  place  will 
be  in  Concord.  When  the  troops  have  captured 
the  guns  and  stores  they  will  return." 

Mrs.  Wilson  said  she  was  not  frightened  and  had 
no  fear  whatever  of  being  left  alone.  The  horses 
were  soon  brought  round,  and  Captain  Wilson  and 
his  son  mounted  and  rode  off  at  full  speed.  They 
made  a  detour  to  avoid  the  town,  and  then,  gaining 
the  high-road,  went  forward  at  full  speed.  The 
alarm  had  evidently  been  given  all  along  the  line. 
At  every  village  the  bells  were  ringing,  the  people 
were  assembling  in  the  streets,  all  carrying  arms, 
while  numbers  were  flocking  in  from  the  farm- 
houses around.  Once  or  twice  Captain  Wilson  was 
stopped  and  asked  where  he  was  going. 

"  I  am  going  to  tell  the  commander  of  the  British 
force,  now  marching  hither,  that  if  he  advances 
there  will  be  bloodshed — that  it  will  be  the  begin- 
ning of  civil  war.  If  he  has  orders  to  come  at  all 
hazards,  my  words  will  not  stop  him ;  if  it  is  left  to 
his  discretion,  possibly  he  may  pause  before  he 
brings  on  so  dire  a  calamity." 

It  was  just  dawn   when    Captain  Wilson  and 


70  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Harold  rode  into  Lexington,  where  the  militia, 
one  hundred  and  thirty  strong,  had  assembled. 
Their  guns  were  loaded  and  they  were  ready  to  de- 
fend the  place,  which  numbered  about  seven  hun- 
dred inhabitants. 

Just  as  Captain  Wilson  rode  in  a  messenger  ran 
up  with  the  news  that  the  head  of  the  British 
column  was  close  at  hand.  Some  of  the  militia  had 
dispersed  to  lie  down  until  the  English  arrived. 
John  Parker,  who  commanded  them,  ordered  the 
drums  to  beat  and  the  alarm-guns  to  be  fired,  and 
his  men  drew  up  in  two  ranks  across  the  road. 

"It  is  too  late  now,  Harold,"  Captain  Wilson 
said.  "  Let  us  get  out  of  the  line  of  fire." 

The  British,  hearing  the  drums  and  the  alarm- 
guns,  loaded,  and  the  advance  company  came  on  at 
the  double.  Major  Pitcairne  was  at  their  head  and 
shouted  to  the  militia  to  lay  down  their  arms. 

It  is  a  matter  of  dispute,  and  will  always  remain 
one,  as  to  who  fired  the  first  shot.  The  Americans 
assert  that  it  was  the  English  ;  the  English  say  that 
as  they  advanced  several  shots  were  fired  at  them 
from  behind  a  stone  wall  and  from  some  of  the  ad- 
joining houses,  which  wounded  one  man  and  hit 
Major  Pitcairne's  horse  in  two  places. 

The  militia  disregarded  Major  Pitcairne's  orders 
to  lay  down  their  arms.  The  English  fired  ;  several 
of  the  militia  were  killed,  nine  wounded,  and  the 
rest  dispersed.  There  was  no  further  fighting  and 
the  English  marched  on  unopposed  to  Concord. 

As  they  approached  the  town   the  militia  re- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  71 

treated  from  it.  The  English  took  possession  of  a 
bridge  behind  the  place  and  held  this  while  the 
troops  were  engaged  in  destroying  the  ammunition 
and  gun-carriages.  Most  of  the  guns  had  been  re- 
moved and  only  two  twenty-four-pounders  were 
taken.  In  destroying  the  stores  by  fire  the  court- 
house took  flames.  At  the  sight  of  this  fire  the 
militia  and  armed  countrymen  advanced  down  the 
hill  toward  the  bridge,  The  English  tried  to  pull 
up  the  planks,  but  the  Americans  ran  forward 
rapidly.  The  English  guard  fired  ;  the  colonists  re- 
turned the  fire.  Some  of  the  English  were  killed 
and  wounded  and  the  party  fell  back  into  the  town. 
Half  an  hour  later  Colonel  Smith,  having  performed 
the  duty  that  he  was  sent  to  do,  resumed  the  home- 
ward march  with  the  whole  of  his  troops. 

Then  the  militiamen  of  Concord,  with  those  from 
many  villages  around  and  every  man  in  the  district 
capable  of  bearing  arms,  fell  upon  the  retiring 
English. 

The  road  led  through  several  defiles,  and  every 
tree,  every  rock,  every  depression  of  ground  was 
taken  advantage  of  by  the  Americans.  Scarcely  a 
man  was  to  be  seen,  but  their  deadly  fire  rained 
thick  upon  the  tired  troops.  This  they  vainly  at- 
tempted to  return,  but  they  could  do  nothing  against 
an  invisible  foe,  every  man  of  whom  possessed  a 
skill  with  his  rifle  far  beyond  that  of  the  British 
soldier.  Very  many  fell  and  the  retreat  was  fast 
becoming  a  rout,  when,  near  Lexington,  the  column 
met  a  strong  reenforcement  which  had  been  sent 


72  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

out  from  Boston.  This  was  commanded  by  Lord 
Percy,  who  formed  his  detachment  into  square,  in 
which  Colonel  Smith's  party,  now  so  utterly  ex- 
hausted that  they  were  obliged  to  lie  down  for  some 
time,  took  refuge.  When  they  were  rested  the 
whole  force  moved  forward  again  toward  Boston, 
harassed  the  whole  way  by  the  Americans,  who 
from  behind  stone  walls  and  other  places  of  shelter 
kept  up  an  incessant  fire  upon  both  flanks,  as  weli 
as  in  the  front  and  rear,  against  which  the  troops 
could  do  nothing.  At  last  the  retreating  column 
safely  arrived  at  Boston,  spent  and  worn  out  with 
fatigue.  Their  loss  was  sixty-five  men  killed,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  wounded,  forty-nine  missing. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  war  of  independ- 
ence. Many  American  writers  have  declared  that 
previous  to  that  battle  there  was  no  desire  for  in- 
dependence on  the  part  of  the  colonists,  but  this  is 
emphatically  contradicted  by  the  language  used  at 
the  meetings  and  in  the  newspapers  which  have 
come  down  to  us.  The  leaders  may  not  have  wished 
to  go  so  far — may  not  have  intended  to  gain  more 
than  an  entire  immunity  from  taxation  and  an  ab- 
solute power  for  the  colonists  to  manage  their  own 
affairs.  But  experience  has  shown  that  when  the 
spark  of  revolution  is  once  lighted,  when  resistance 
to  the  law  has  once  commenced,  things  are  carried 
to  a  point  far  beyond  that  dreamed  of  by  the  first 
leaders. 

Those  who  commenced  the  French  Revolution 
were  moderate  men  who  desired  only  that  some 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  73 

slight  check  should  be  placed  on  the  arbitrary  power 
of  the  king — that  the  people  should  be  relieved  in 
some  slight  degree  from  the  horrible  tyranny  of 
the  nobles,  from  the  misery  and  wretchedness  in 
which  they  lived.  These  just  demands  increased 
step  by  step  until  they  culminated  in  the  reign  of 
terror  and  the  most  horrible  scenes  of  bloodshed 
and  massacre  of  modern  times. 

Men  like  Washington  and  Franklin  and  Adams 
may  have  desired  only  that  the  colonists  should  be 
free  from  imperial  taxation,  but  the  popular  voice 
went  far  beyond  this.  Three  years  earlier  wise 
counsels  in  the  British  Parliament  might  have 
averted  a  catastrophe  and  delayed  for  many  years 
the  separation  of  the  colonies  from  their  mother 
country.  At  the  time  the  march  began  from  Bos- 
ton to  Concord  the  American  colonists  stood  virtu- 
ally in  armed  rebellion.  The  militia  throughout 
New  England  were  ready  for  fight.  Arms,  ammu- 
nition, and  military  stores  were  collected  in  Rhode 
Island  and  New  Hampshire.  The  cannon  and  mili- 
tary stores  belonging  to  the  crown  had  been  carried 
off  by  the  people,  forty  cannon  being  seized  in 
Rhode  Island  alone.  Such  being  the  case,  it  is  non- 
sense to  speak  of  the  fray  at  Lexington  as  the  cause 
of  the  Revolutionary  War.  It  was  but  the  spark  in 
the  powder.  The  magazine  was  ready  and  primed, 
the  explosion  was  inevitable,  and  the  fight  at  Lex- 
ington was  the  accidental  incident  which  set  fire 
to  it. 

The  efforts  of  American  writers  to  conceal  the 


74  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

real  facts  of  the  case,  to  minimize  the  rebellious 
language,  the  violent  acts  of  the  colonists,  and  to 
make  England  responsible  for  the  war  because  a 
body  of  troops  were  sent  to  seize  cannon  and  mili- 
tary stores  intended  to  be  used  against  them  are  so 
absurd,  as  well  as  so  untrue,  that  it  is  astonishing 
how  wide  a  credence  such  statements  have  received. 

From  an  eminence  at  some  distance  from  the  line 
of  retreat  Captain  Wilson  and  his  son  watched  sor- 
rowfully the  attack  upon  the  British  troops.  When 
at  last  the  combatants  disappeared  from  sight 
through  one  of  the  defiles  Captain  Wilson  turned 
his  horse's  head  homeward. 

"  The  die  is  cast,"  he  said  to  his  wife  as  she  met 
him  at  the  door.  "  The  war  has  begun,  and  I  fear 
it  can  have  but  one  termination.  The  colonists  can 
place  forces  in  the  field  twenty  times  as  numerous 
as  any  army  that  England  can  spare.  They  are  in- 
ferior in  drill  and  in  discipline,  but  these  things, 
which  are  of  such  vast  consequence  in  a  European 
battle-field,  matter  but  little  in  such  a  country  as 
this.  Skill  with  the  rifle  and  knowledge  of  forest 
warfare  are  far  more  important.  In  these  points 
the  colonists  are  as  superior  to  the  English  soldiers 
as  they  are  in  point  of  numbers.  Nevertheless,  my 
dear,  my  duty  is  plain.  I  am  an  Englishman  and 
have  borne  his  majesty's  commission,  and  I  must 
fight  for  the  king.  Harold  has  spoken  to  me  as  we 
rode  home  together,  and  he  wishes  to  fight  by  my 
side.  I  have  pointed  out  to  him  that  as  he  was 
born  here  he  can  without  dishonor  remain  neutral 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  75 

in  the  struggle.  He,  however,  insists  that  as  a  loyal 
subject  of  the  king  he  is  entitled  to  fight  for  him. 
He  saw  to-day  many  lads  not  older  than  himself  in 
the  rebel  ranks,  and  he  has  pleaded  strongly  for 
permission  to  go  with  me.  To  this  I  have  agreed. 
Which  would  you  prefer,  Mary — to  stay  quietly 
here,  where  I  imagine  you  would  not  be  molested 
on  account  of  the  part  I  take,  or  will  you  move  into 
Boston  and  stop  with  your  relations  there  until  the 
struggle  has  ended  one  way  or  the  other  ?" 

As  Mrs.  Wilson  had  frequently  talked  over  with 
her  husband  the  course  that  he  would  take  in  the 
event  of  civil  war  actually  breaking  out,  the  news 
that  he  would  at  once  offer  his  services  to  the  Brit- 
ish authorities  did  not  come  as  a  shock  upon  her. 
Even  the  question  of  Harold  accompanying  his 
father  had  been  talked  over ;  and  although  her 
heart  bled  at  the  thought  of  husband  and  son  being 
both  engaged  in  such  a  struggle,  she  agreed  to 
acquiesce  in  any  decision  that  Harold  might  arrive 
at.  He  was  now  nearly  sixteen,  and  in  the  colonies 
a  lad  of  this  age  is,  in  point  of  independence  and 
self-reliance,  older  than  an  English  boy.  Harold, 
too,  had  already  shown  that  he  possessed  discretion 
and  coolness  as  well  as  courage,  and  although  now 
that  the  moment  had  come  Mrs.  Wilson  wept  pas- 
sionately at  the  thought  of  their  leaving  her,  she  ab- 
stained from  saying  any  word  to  dissuade  them 
from  the  course  they  had  determined  upon.  When 
she  recovered  from  her  fit  of  crying  she  said  that 
she  would  accompany  them  at  once  to  Boston,  as  in 


76  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  first  place  their  duties  might  for  some  time  lie 
in  that  city,  and  that  in  any  case  she  would  obtain 
far  more  speedy  news  there  of  what  was  going  on 
throughout  the  country  than  she  would  at  Concord. 
She  would,  too,  be  living  among  her  friends  and 
would  meet  with  many  of  the  same  convictions  and 
opinions  as  her  husband's,  whereas  in  Concord  the 
whole  population  would  be  hostile. 

Captain  Wilson  said  that  there  was  no  time  to  be 
lost,  as  the  whole  town  was  in  a  tumult.  He  there- 
fore advised  her  to  pack  up  such  necessary  articles 
as  could  be  carried  in  the  valises  on  the  horses' 
backs. 

Pompey  and  the  other  servants  were  to  pack  up 
the  most  valuable  effects  and  to  forward  them  to  a 
relation  of  Mrs.  Wilson's  who  lived  about  three 
miles  from  Boston.  There  they  would  be  in  safety 
and  could  be  brought  into  the  town  if  necessary. 
Pompey  and  two  other  old  servants  were  to  remain 
in  charge  of  the  house  and  its  contents.  Jake,  an 
active  young  negro  some  twenty-three  or  twenty- 
four  years  old  who  was  much  attached  to  Harold, 
whose  personal  attendant  and  companion  he  had 
always  been,  was  to  accompany  them  on  horseback, 
as  was  Judy,  Mrs.  Wilson's  negro  maid. 

As  evening  fell  the  five  horses  were  brought 
round,  and  the  party  started  by  a  long  and  circuitous 
route,  by  which,  after  riding  for  nearly  forty  miles, 
they  reached  Boston  at  two  o'clock  next  morning. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  77 


CHAPTER  V. 

BUNKER'S    HILL. 

THE  excitement  caused  by  the  news  of  the  fight 
at  Concord  was  intense,  and  as  it  spread  through 
the  colonies  the  men  everywhere  rushed  to  arms. 
The  fray  at  Lexington  was  represented  as  a  wanton 
outrage,  and  the  facts  wholly  ignored  that  the 
colonists  concerned  in  it  were  drawn  up  in  arms  to 
oppose  the  passage  of  the  king's  troops,  who  were 
marching  on  their  legitimate  duty  of  seizing  arms 
and  ammunition  collected  for  the  purpose  of  warring 
against  the  king.  The  colonial  orators  and  news- 
paper writers  affirmed  then,  as  they  have  affirmed 
since,  that  up  to  the  day  of  Lexington  no  one  had  a 
thought  of  firing  a  shot  against  the  government. 
A  more  barefaced  misstatement  was  never  made^ 
Men  do  not  carry  off  cannon  by  scores  and  ac- 
cumulate everywhere  great  stores  of  warlike  am- 
munition without  a  thought  of  fighting.  The 
colonists  commenced  the  war  by  assembling  in  arms 
to  oppose  the  progress  of  British  troops  obeying  the 
orders  of  the  government.  It  matters  not  a  whit 
on  which  side  the  first  shot  was  fired.  American 
troops  have  many  times  since  that  event  fired  upon 
rioters  in  the  streets,  under  circumstances  r\Q 


78  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

stronger  than  those  which  brought  on  the  fight  at 
Lexington. 

From  all  parts  of  New  England  the  militia  and 
volunteers  poured  in,  and  in  three  days  after  the  fight 
twenty  thousand  armed  men  were  encamped  between 
the  rivers  Mystic  and  Roxburgh,  thus  besieging 
Boston.  They  at  once  set  to  work  throwing  up 
formidable  earthworks,  the  English  troops  remaining 
within  their  intrenchments  across  the  neck  of  land 
joining  Boston  with  the  mainland. 

The  streets  of  Boston  were  crowded  with  an  ex 
cited  populace  when  Captain  Wilson  and  his  party 
rode  into  it  at  two  in  the  morning.  No  one 
thought  of  going  to  bed  and  all  were  excited  to  the 
last  degree  at  the  news  of  the  battle.  All  sorts  of 
reports  prevailed.  On  the  colonial  side  it  was 
affirmed  that  the  British  in  their  retreat  had  shot 
down  the  women  and  children ;  while  the  soldiers 
affirmed  that  the  colonists  had  scalped  many  of  their 
number  who  fell  in  the  fight.  The  latter  statement 
was  officially  made  by  Lord  Percy  in  his  report  of 
the  engagement. 

Captain  Wilson  rode  direct  to  the  house  of  his 
wife's  friends.  They  were  still  up  and  were  de- 
lighted to  see  Mary  Wilson,  for  such  exaggerated 
reports  had  been  received  of  the  fight  that  they 
were  alarmed  for  her  safety.  They  belonged  to  the 
moderate  party,  who  saw  that  there  were  faults  on 
both  sides  and  regretted  bitterly  both  the  obstinacy 
of  the  English  Parliament  in  attempting  to  coerce 
the  colonists  and  the  determination  of  the  latter  to 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  79 

oppose  by  force  of  arms  the  legitimate  rights  of  the 
mother  country. 

Until  the  morning  the  events  of  the  preceding 
day  were  talked  over ;  a  few  hours'  repose  were 
then  taken,  after  which  Captain  Wilson  went  to  the 
headquarters  of  General  Gage  and  offered  his  services. 
Although  Boston  was  the  headquarters  of  the  dis- 
affected party,  no  less  than  two  hundred  men  came 
forward  as  volunteers  in  the  king's  service,  and 
Captain  Wilson  was  at  once  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  a  company  of  fifty  men.  Before  leaving 
the  army  he  had  taken  part  in  several  expeditions 
against  the  Indians,  and  his  knowledge  of  forest 
warfare  rendered  him  a  valuable  acquisition. 
Boston  was  but  poorly  provisioned,  and  as  upon  the 
day  when  the  news  of  Lexington  reached  New  York 
two  vessels  laden  with  flour  for  the  use  of  the 
troops  at  Boston  were  seized  by  the  colonists  and 
many  other  supplies  cut  off,  the  danger  of  the  place 
being  starved  out  was  considerable.  General  Gage 
therefore  offered  no  opposition  to  the  exit  from  the 
city  of  those  who  wished  to  avoid  the  horror  of  a 
siege,  and  a  considerable  portion  of  the  population 
made  their  way  through  to  the  rebel  lines.  Every 
day  brought  news  of  fresh  risings  throughout  the 
country  ;  the  governors  of  the  various  provinces 
were  powerless ;  small  garrisons  of  English  troops 
were  disarmed  and  made  prisoners  ;  and  the  fortress 
of  Ticonderoga,  held  only  by  fifty  men,  was 
captured  by  the  Americans  without  resistance.  In 
one  month  after  the  first  shot  was  fired  the  whole 
of  the  American  colonje^  were  in  rebellion. 


80  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

The  news  was  received  in  England  with  astonish- 
ment  and  sorrow.  Great  concessions  had  been 
made  by  Parliament,  but  the  news  had  reached 
America  too  late  to  avoid  hostilities.  Public  opinion 
was  divided ;  many  were  in  favor  of  granting  at 
once  all  that  the  colonists  demanded,  and  many 
officers  of  rank  and  position  resigned  their  com- 
missions rather  than  tight  against  the  Americans. 
The  division,  indeed,  was  almost  as  general  and 
complete  as  it  had  been  in  the  time  of  our  own  civil 
war.  In  London  the  feeling  in  favor  of  the  colo- 
nists was  strong,  but  in  the  country  generally  the 
determination  to  repress  the  rising  was  in  the 
ascendant.  The  colonists  had  with  great  shrewd- 
ness dispatched  a  fast-sailing  ship  to  Europe  upon 
the  day  following  the  battle  of  Lexington,  giving 
their  account  of  the  affair  and  representing  it  as  a 
massacre  of  defenseless  colonists  by  British  troops ; 
and  the  story  thus  told  excited  a  sympathy  which 
would  not,  perhaps,  have  been  extended  to  them 
had  the  real  facts  of  the  case  been  known.  Repre- 
sentatives from  all  the  colonists  met  at  Philadelphia 
to  organize  the  national  resistance,  but  as  yet, 
although  many  of  the  bolder  spirits  spoke  of  alto- 
gether throwing  off  allegiance  to  England,  no 
resolution  was  proposed  to  that  effect. 

For  the  first  six  weeks  after  his  arrival  at  Boston 
Captain  Wilson  was  engaged  in  drilling  his  com- 
pany. Harold  was,  of  course,  attached  to  it,  and 
entered  with  ardor  upon  his  duties.  Captain  "Wilson 
did  not  attempt  to  form  his  men  into  a  band  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  81 

regular  soldiers ;  accuracy  of  movement  and  regu- 
larity of  drill  would  be  of  little  avail  in  the  warfare 
in  which  they  were  likely  to  be  engaged.  Accuracy 
in  shooting,  quickness  in  taking  cover,  and  steadi- 
ness in  carrying  out  any  general  orders  were  the 
principal  objects  to  be  attained.  Most  of  the  men 
had  already  taken  part  in  frontier  warfare.  The 
majority  of  them  were  gentlemen — Englishmen  who, 
like  their  captain,  had  come  out  from  home  and 
purchased  small  estates  in  the  country.  The  dis- 
cipline, therefore,  was  not  strict,  and  off  duty  all 
were  on  terms  of  equality. 

Toward  the  end  of  May  and  beginning  of  June 
considerable  reinforcements  arrived  from  England, 
and,  as  a  step  preparatory  to  offensive  measures, 
General  Gage  on  June  12  issued  a  proclamation  offer- 
ing in  his  majesty's  name  a  free  pardon  to  all  who 
should  forthwith  lay  down  their  arms,  John  Han- 
cock and  General  Adams  only  excepted,  and  threat- 
ening with  punishment  all  who  should  delay  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  offer.  This  proclamation 
had  no  effect  whatever. 

Near  the  peninsula  of  Boston,  on  the  north,  and 
separated  from  it  by  the  Charles  Kiver,  which  is 
navigable  and  about  the  breadth  of  the  Thames 
at  London  Bridge,  is  another  neck  of  land  called 
the  Peninsula  of  Charlestown.  On  the  north  bank, 
opposite  Boston,  lies  the  town  of  Charlestown,  be- 
hind which  in  the  center  of  the  peninsula  rises  an 
eminence  called  Bunker's  Hill.  Bunker's  Hill  is 
sufficiently  high  to  overlook  any  part  of  Boston  and 


82  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

i 

near  enough  to  be  within  cannon-shot.  This  hill 
was  unoccupied  by  either  party,  and  about  this  time 
the  Americans,  hearing  that  General  Gage  had 
come  to  a  determination  to  fortify  it,  resolved  to 
defeat  his  resolution  by  being  the  first  to  occupy  it. 

About  nine  in  the  evening  of  June  16  a  detach- 
ment from  the  colonial  army,  one  thousand  strong, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Prescott,  moved 
along  the  Charlestown  road  and  took  up  a  position 
on  a  shoulder  of  Bunker's  Hill,  which  was  known 
as  Breed's  Hill,  just  above  the  town  of  Charles- 
town.  They  reached  this  position  at  midnight. 
Each  man  carried  a  pick  and  shovel,  and  all  night 
they  worked  vigorously  in  intrenching  the  position. 
Not  a  word  was  spoken,  and  the  watch  on  board 
the  men-of-war  in  the  harbor  were  ignorant  of  what 
was  going  on  so  near  at  hand.  At  daybreak  the 
alarm,  was  given,  and  the  Lively  opened  a  cannonade 
upon  the  redoubt.  A  battery  of  guns  was  placed 
on  Copp's  Hill,  behind  Boston,  distant  twelve  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  works,  and  this  also  opened 
fire.  The  Americans  continued  their  work,  throw- 
ing up  fresh  intrenchments,  and  singularly  only 
one  man  was  killed  by  the  fire  from  the  ships  and 
redoubt.  A  breastwork  was  carried  down  the  hill 
to  the  flat  ground,  which,  intersected  by  fences, 
stretched  away  to  the  Mystic.  By  nine  o'clock 
they  had  completed  their  intrenchments. 

Prescott  sent  off  for  reinforcements,  but  there 
was  little  harmony  among  the  colonial  troops. 
Disputes  between  the  contingents  of  the  various 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  83 

provinces  were  common;  there  was  no  head  of 
sufficient  authority  to  enforce  his  orders  upon  the 
whole;  and  a  long  delay  took  place  before  the 
reinforcements  were  sent  forward. 

In  the  mean  time  the  English  had  been  preparing 
to  attack  the  position.  The  Fifth,  Thirty-eighth, 
Forty-third,  and  Fifty -second  Kegiments,  with  ten 
companies  of  the  grenadiers  and  ten  of  the  light 
infantry,  with  a  proportion  of  field-artillery, 
embarked  in  boats  and,  crossing  the  harbor, 
landed  on  the  outward  side  of  the  peninsula 
near  the  Mystic,  with  a  view  of  outflanking  the 
American  position  and  surrounding  them.  The 
force  was  under  the  command  of  Major-Genera] 
Howe,  under  whom  was  Brigadier-General  Pigott. 

Upon  seeing  the  strength  of  the  American  posi- 
tion, General  Howe  halted  and  sent  back  for  further 
reinforcements.  The  Americans  improved  the  time 
thus  given  them  by  forming  a  breastwork  in  front 
of  an  old  ditch.  Here  there  was  a  post-and-rail 
fence.  They  ran  up  another  by  the  side  of  this  and 
filled  the  space  between  the  two  with  the  new-mown 
hay,  which,  cut  only  the  day  before,  lay  thickly 
over  the  meadows. 

Two  battalions  were  sent  across  to  ree'nforce 
Howe,  while  large  reinforcements,  with  six  guns, 
arrived  to  the  assistance  of  Prescott.  The  English 
had  now  a  force  consisting,  according  to  different 
authorities,  of  between  two  thousand  and  two 
thousand  five  hundred  men.  The  colonial  force  is 
also  variously  estimated  and  had  the  advantage 


84  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

both  in  position  and  in  the  protection  of  their 
intrenchments,  while  the  British  had  to  march 
across  open  ground.  As  individual  shots  the  col- 
onists were  immensely  superior,  but  the  British  had 
the  advantages  given  by  drill  and  discipline. 

The  English  lines  advanced  in  good  order,  steadi- 
ly and  slowly,  the  artillery  covering  them  by  their 
fire.  Presently  the  troops  opened  fire,  but  the  dis- 
tance was  too  great  and  they  did  but  little  execu- 
tion. Incumbered  with  their  knapsacks  they 
ascended  the  steep  hill  toward  the  redoubt  with 
difficulty,  covered  as  it  was  by  grass  reaching  to 
their  knees.  The  colonists  did  not  fire  a  shot  until 
the  English  line  had  reached  a  point  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  intrenchments. 
Then  Prescott  gave  the  order,  and  from  the  redoubt 
and  the  long  line  of  intrenchments  flanking  it 
flashed  a  line  of  fire.  Each  man  had  taken  a 
steady  aim  with  his  rifle  resting  on  the  earthwork 
before  him,  and  so  deadly  was  the  fire  that  nearly 
the  whole  front  line  of  the  British  fell.  For  ten 
minutes  the  rest  stood  with  dogged  courage  firing 
at  the  hidden  foe,  but  these,  sheltered  while  they 
loaded  and  only  exposing  themselves  momentarily 
while  they  raised  their  heads  above  the  parapets 
to  fire,  did  such  deadly  execution  that  the  remnant 
of  the  British  fell  back  to  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

While  this  force,  which  was  under  the  command 
of  General  Pigott,  had  been  engaged,  another 
division  under  Howe  himself  moved  against  the 
rail  fence.  The  combat  was  a  repetition  of  that 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


85 


had  taken  place  on  the  hill.  Here  the 
Americans  reserved  their  fire  until  the  enemy  were 
close ;  then,  with  their  muskets  resting  on  the  rails, 


ACTION  AT  BUNKERS  HILL, 
on  the  IT^of  June  1775. 

Between  HIS  MAJESTY'S  TROOPS, 
Under  the  Command  of  Major  G«n.  How« 

at 


Scale  i(  Yards 

O       100     200    300    400     SOO 


-..•Royalists 
....Americans 


they  poured  in  a  deadly  fire,  and  after  in  vain  try- 
ing to  stand  their  ground  the  troops  fell  back  to 
the  shore. 


88  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Captain  Wilson  was  standing  with  Harold  on 
Copp's  Hill  watching  the  engagement. 

"  What  beautiful  order  they  go  in  !"  Harold  said, 
looking  admiringly  at  the  long  lines  of  red-coated 
soldiers. 

"  It  is  very  pretty,"  Captain  Wilson  said  sadly, 
"  and  may  do  in  regular  warfare ;  but  I  tell  you, 
Harold,  that  sort  of  thing  won't  do  here.  There  is 
scarce  a  man  carrying  a  gun  behind  those  intrench- 
ments  who  cannot  with  certainty  hit  a  bull's-eye  at 
one  hundred  and  fifty  yards.  It  is  simply  murder, 
taking  the  men  up  in  regular  order  against  such  a 
foe  sheltered  by  earthworks." 

At  this  moment  the  long  line  of  fire  darted  out 
from  the  American  in  trench  men  ts. 

"  Look  there  !"  Captain  Wilson  cried  in  a  pained 
voice.  "  The  front  line  is  nearly  swept  away  !  Do 
you  see  them  lying  almost  in  an  unbroken  line  on 
the  hillside  ?  I  tell  you,  Harold,  it  is  hopeless  to 
look  for  success  if  we  fight  in  this  way.  The  brav- 
est men  in  the  world  could  not  stand  such  a  fire  as 
that." 

"  What  will  be  done  now  ?"  Harold  asked  as  the 
men  stood  huddled  upon  the  shore. 

"  They  will  try  again,"  Captain  Wilson  said. 
"  Look  at  the  officers  running  about  among  them 
and  getting  them  into  order." 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  British  again  advanced 
both  toward  the  redoubt  and  the  grass  fence.  As 
before  the  Americans  withheld  their  fire,  and  this 
time  until  the  troops  were  far  closer  than  before, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  87 

and  the  result  was  even  more  disastrous.  Some  of 
the  grenadier  and  light  infantry  companies  who  led 
lost  three-fourths,  others  nine-tenths  of  their  men. 
Again  the  British  troops  recoiled  from  that  terrible 
fire.  General  Howe  and  his  officers  exerted  them- 
selves to  the  utmost  to  restore  order  when  the 
troops  again  reached  the  shore,  and  the  men  gal- 
lantly replied  to  their  exhortations.  Almost  impos- 
sible as  the  task  appeared,  they  prepared  to  under- 
take it  for  the  third  time.  This  time  a  small  force 
only  were  directed  to  move  against  the  grass  fence, 
while  the  main  body,  under  Howe,  were  to  attack 
the  redoubt  on  the  hill. 

Knapsacks  were  taken  off  and  thrown  down  and 
each  man  nerved  himself  to  conquer  or  die.  The 
ships  in  the  harbor  prepared  the  way  by  opening  a 
heavy  cannonade.  General  Clinton,  who  was  watch- 
ing the  battle  from  Copp's  Hill,  ran  down  to  the 
shore,  rowed  across  the  harbor,  and  put  himself  at 
the  head  of  two  battalions.  Then  with  loud  cheers 
the  troops  again  sprang  up  the  ascent.  The  Ameri- 
can ammunition  was  running  short,  many  of  the 
men  not  having  more  than  three  or  four  rounds 
left,  and  this  time  they  held  their  fire  until  the  Brit- 
ish troops  were  within  twenty  yards.  These  had 
not  fired  a  shot,  the  order  being  that  there  was  to 
be  no  pause,  but  that  the  redoubt  was  to  be  carried 
with  the  bayonet.  For  a  moment  they  wavered 
when  the  deadty  volley  was  poured  in  upon  them. 
Then  with  a  cheer  they  rushed  at  the  intrench- 
ments.  All  those  who  first  mounted  were  shot 


gg  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

down  by  the  defenders,  but  the  troops  would  not  be 
denied,  and  pouring  over  the  earthworks  leaped 
down  upon  the  enemy. 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  hand-to-hand  fight, 
the  Americans  using  the  butt-ends  of  their  muskets, 
the  English  their  bayonets.  The  soldiers  were  ex- 
hausted with  the  climb  up  the  hill  and  their  exer- 
tions under  a  blazing  sun,  and  the  great  majority  of 
the  defenders  of  the  redoubt  were  there  fore  enabled 
to  retreat  unharmed,  as,  fresh  and  active,  they  were 
able  to  outrun  their  tired  opponents,  and  as  the 
balls  served  out  for  the  English  field-pieces  were  too 
large,  the  artillery  were  unable  to  come  into  action. 

The  colonists  at  the  rail  fence  maintained  their 
position  against  the  small  force  sent  against  them 
till  the  main  body  at  the  redoubt  had  made  their 
escape.  The  British  were  unable  to  continue  the 
pursuit  beyond  the  isthmus. 

In  the  whole  history  of  the  British  army  there  is 
no  record  of  a  more  gallant  feat  than  the  capture 
of  Bunker's  Hill,  and  few  troops  in  the  world  would, 
after  two  bloody  repulses,  have  moved  up  the  third 
time  to  assail  such  a  position,  defended  by  men  so 
trained  to  the  use  of  the  rifle.  Ten  hundred  and 
fifty-four  men,  or  nearly  half  their  number,  were 
killed  and  wounded,  among  whom  were  eighty-three 
officers.  In  few  battles  ever  fought  was  the  pro- 
portion of  casualties  to  the  number  engaged  so 
great.  The  Americans  fought  bravely,  but  the  ex- 
traordinary praise  bestowed  upon  them  for  their 
valor  appears  misplaced.  Their  position  was  one  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  89 

great  strength,  and  the  absence  of  drill  was  of  no 
consequence  whatever  in  such  an  engagement.  They 
were  perfectly  sheltered  from  their  enemy's  fire 
while  engaged  in  calmly  shooting  him  down,  and 
their  loss  up  to  the  moment  when  the  British  rushed 
among  them  was  altogether  insignificant.  Their 
casualties  took  place  after  the  position  was  stormed 
and  on  their  retreat  along  the  peninsula,  and  amount- 
ed in  all  to  one  hundred  and  forty-five  killed  and 
captured  and  three  hundred  and  four  wounded.  It 
may  be  said  that  both  sides  fought  well,  but  from 
the  circumstances  under  which  the}'  fought  the 
highest  credit  is  due  to  the  victors. 

The  battle,  however,  though  won  by  the  English, 
was  a  moral  triumph  for  the  Americans,  and  the 
British  Parliament  should  at  once  have  given  up  the 
contest.  It  was  from  the  first  absolutely  certain 
that  the  Americans,  with  their  immense  superiority 
in  numbers,  could,  if  they  were  only  willing  to 
fight,  hold  their  vast  country  a0ainst  the  British 
troops,  fighting  with  a  base  thousands  of  miles 
away.  The  battle  of  Bunker's  Hill  showed  that 
they  were  so  willing — that  they  could  tight  sternly 
and  bravely  :  and  this  point  once  established,  it  was 
little  short  of  madness  for  the  English  government 
to  continue  the  contest.  They  had  not  even  the  ex- 
cuse of  desiring  to  wipe  out  the  dishonor  of  a  de- 
feat. Their  soldiers  had  won  a  brilliant  victory  and 
had  fought  with  a  determination  and  valor  never 
exceeded,  and  England  could  have  afforded  to  say, 
"  "We  will  fight  no  more.  If  you,  the  inhabitants  of 


90  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

a  vast  continent,  are  determined  to  go  alone,  are 
ready  to  give  your  lives  rather  than  remain  in  con- 
nection with  us,  go  and  prosper.  We  acknowledge 
we  cannot  subdue  a  nation  in  arms." 

From  the  height  of  Copp's  Hill  it  could  be  seen 
that  the  British  had  suffered  terribly.  Captain 
Wilson  was  full  of  enthusiasm  when  he  saw  the  suc- 
cess of  the  last  gallant  charge  of  the  English  sol- 
diers, but  he  said  to  Harold  : 

"  It  is  a  disastrous  victory.  A  few  such  battles 
as  these  and  the  English  army  in  America  would 
cease  to  exist." 

But  although  they  were  aware  that  the  losses 
were  heavy  they  were  not  prepared  for  the  truth. 
The  long  grass  had  hidden  from  view  many  of 
those  who  fell,  and  when  it  was  known  that  nearly 
half  of  those  engaged  were  killed  or  wounded  the 
feeling  among  the  English  was  akin  to  consterna- 
tion. 

The  generalship  of  the  British  was  wholly  un- 
worthy oi.  the  valor  of  the  troops.  There  would 
have  been  no  difficulty  in  placing  some  of  the  ves- 
sels of  light  draught  so  far  up  the  Mystic  as  to  out- 
flank the  intrenchments  held  by  the  colonists. 
Indeed,  the  British  troops  might  have  been  landed 
further  up  the  Mystic,  in  which  case  the  Americans 
must  have  retreated  instantly  to  avoid  capture. 
Lastly,  the  troops,  although  fighting  within  a  mile 
of  their  quarters,  were  incumbered  with  three  days' 
provisions,  and  their  knapsacks,  constituting,  with 
their  muskets  and  ammunition,  a  load  of  one  hun- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  91 

dred  and  twenty-five  pounds.  This  was  indeed 
heavily  handicapping  men  who  had,  under  a  blazing 
sun,  to  climb  a  steep  hill,  with  grass  reaching  to 
their  knees  and  intersected  by  walls  and  fences. 

American  writers  describe  the  defenders  of  the 
position  as  inferior  in  numbers  to  the  assailants,  but 
it  is  due  to  the  English  to  say  that  their  estimate  of 
the  number  of  the  defenders  of  the  intrenchments 
differs  very  widely  from  this.  General  Gage  esti- 
mated them  as  being  fully  three  times  as  numerous 
as  the  British  troops.  It  is  probable  that  the  truth 
lies  between  the  two  accounts. 

Captain  Wilson  returned  with  Harold  greatly  dis- 
pirited to  his  house. 

"  The  lookout  is  dreadfully  bad,"  he  said  to  his 
wife  after  describing  the  events  of  the  day.  "  So  far 
as  I  can  see  there  are  but  two  alternatives — either 
peace  or  a  long  and  destructive  war  with  failure  at 
its  end.  It  is  even  more  hopeless  trying  to  conquer  a 
vast  country  like  this,  defended  by  irregulars,  than 
if  we  had  a  trained  and  disciplined  army  to  deal 
with.  In  that  case  two  or  three  signal  victories 
might  bring  the  war  to  a  conclusion  ;  but  fighting 
with  irregulars  a  victory  means  nothing  beyond  so 
many  of  the  enemy  killed.  There  are  scarcely  any 
cannon  to  take,  no  stores  or  magazines  to  capture. 
When  the  enemy  is  beaten  he  disperses,  moves  off, 
and  in  a  couple  of  days  gathers  again  in  a  fresh 
position.  The  work  has  no  end.  There  are  no  fort- 
resses to  take,  no  strategical  positions  to  occupy, 
no  great  roads  to  cut.  The  enemy  can  march  any- 


92  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

where,  attack  and  disperse  as  he  chooses,  scatter, 
and  re-form  when  you  have  passed  by.  It  is  like 
fighting  the  wind." 

"Well,  John,  since  it  seems  so  hopeless,  cannot 
you  give  it  up  ?  Is  it  too  late  ?" 

"  Altogether  too  late,  Mary,  and  if  I  were  free 
to-morrow  I  would  volunteer  my  services  again 
next  day.  It  is  not  any  the  less  my  duty  to  fight 
in  my  country's  cause  because  I  believe  the  cause  to 
be  a  losing  one.  You  must  see  that  yourself,  dear. 
If  England  had  been  sure  to  win  without  my  aid  I 
might  have  stood  aloof.  It  is  because  every  one's 
help  is  needed  that  such  services  as  I  can  render 
are  due  to  her.  A  country  would  be  in  a  bad  way 
whose  sons  were  only  ready  to  fight  when  their  suc- 
cess was  a  certainty." 

The  Congress  determined  now  to  detach  Canada 
from  the  English  side  and  prepared  a  force  for  the 
invasion  of  that  colony,  where  the  British  had  but 
few  regular  troops. 

Captain  Wilson  was  one  morning  summoned  to 
headquarters.  On  his  return  he  called  together  four 
or  five  of  the  men  best  acquainted  with  the  coun- 
try. These  had  been  in  their  early  days  hunters  or 
border  scouts  and  knew  every  foot  of  the  forest  and 
lakes. 

"  I  have  just  seen  the  general,"  Captain  Wilson 
said.  "  A  royalist  brought  in  news  last  night  that 
the  rebels  are  raising  a  force  intended  to  act  against 
Montreal.  They  reckon  upon  being  joined  by  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  Canadians,  among  whom 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  93 

there  is,  unfortunately,  a  good  deal  of  discontent. 
We  have  but  two  regiments  in  the  whole  colony. 
One  of  these  is  at  Quebec.  The  rebels,  therefore, 
will  get  the  advantage  of  surprise,  and  may  raise 
the  colony  before  we  are  in  a  condition  to  resist. 
General  Howe  asked  me  to  take  my  company 
through  the  woods  straight  to  Montreal.  We 
should  be  landed  a  few  miles  up  the  coast  at  night. 
I  suppose  some  of  you  know  the  country  well 
enough  to  be  able  to  guide  us." 

Several  of  the  men  expressed  their  ability  to  act 
as  guides. 

"  I've  fought  the  Injuns  through  them,  woods  over 
and  over  again,"  said  one  of  them,  a  sinewy,  weath- 
er-beaten man  of  some  sixty  years  old,  who  was 
known  as  Peter  Lambton.  He  had  for  many  years 
been  a  scout  attached  to  the  army  and  was  one  of 
the  most  experienced  hunters  on  the  frontier.  He 
was  a  tall,  angular  man,  except  that  he  stooped 
slightly,  the  result  of  a  habit  of  walking  with  the 
head  bent  forward  in  the  attitude  of  listening.  The 
years  which  had  passed  over  him  had  had  no  effect 
upon  his  figure.  He  walked  with  a  long,  noiseless 
tread,  like  that  of  an  Indian,  and  was  one  of  the 
men  attached  to  his  company  in  whom,  wisely, 
Captain  Wilson  had  made  no  attempt  to  instil  the 
very  rudiments  of  drill.  It  was,  the  captain  thought, 
well  that  the  younger  men  should  have  such  a 
knowledge  of  drill  as  would  enable  them  to  perform 
simple  maneuvers,  but  the  old  hunters  would  fight 
in  their  own  way,  a  way  infinitely  better  adapted 


94  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

for  forest  warfare  than  any  that  he  could  teach 
them.  Peter  and  some  of  his  companions  were  in 
receipt  of  small  pensions,  which  had  been  bestowed 
upon  them  for  their  services  with  the  troops.  Men 
of  this  kind  were  not  likely  to  take  any  lively  in- 
terest in  the  squabbles  as  to  questions  of  taxation, 
but  when  they  found  that  it  was  coming  to  fighting 
they  again  offered  their  services  to  the  government 
as  a  matter  of  course.  Some  were  attached  to  the 
regular  troops  as  scouts,  while  others  were  divided 
among  the  newly  raised  companies  of  loyalists. 

Peter  Lambton  had  for  the  last  four  years  been 
settled  at  Concord.  During  the  war  with  the 
French  he  had  served  as  a  scout  with  the  regiment 
to  which  Captain  Wilson  belonged,  and  had  saved 
that  officer's  life  when  with  a  portion  of  his  com- 
pany he  was  surrounded  and  cut  off  by  hostile 
Indians.  A  strong  feeling  of  friendship  had  sprung 
up  between  them,  and  when,  four  years  before, 
there  had  been  a  lull  in  the  English  fighting  on  the 
frontier,  Peter  had  retired  on  his  pension  and  the 
savings  which  he  had  made  during  his  many  years' 
work  as  a  hunter,  and  had  located  himself  in  a  cot- 
tage on  Captain  Wilson's  estate.  It  was  the  many 
tales  told  him  by  the  hunter  of  his  experiences  in 
Indian  warfare  that  had  fired  Harold  with  a  desire 
for  the  life  of  a  frontier  hunter,  and  had  given  him 
such  a  knowledge  of  forest  life  as  had  enabled  him 
to  throw  off  the  Indians  from  his  trail.  On 
Harold's  return  the  old  hunter  had  listened  with  ex- 
treme interest  to  the  story  of  his  adventures  and 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  95 

had  taken  great  pride  in  the  manner  in  which  he 
had  utilized  his  teachings.  Peter  made  his  appear- 
ance in  the  city  three  days  after  the  arrival  of  Cap- 
tain Wilson  there. 

"  I  look  upon  this  here  affair  as  a  favorable  occur- 
rence for  Harold,"  he  said  to  Captain  Wilson. 
"  The  boy  has  lots  of  spirits,  but  if  it  had  not  been 
for  this  he  might  have  grown  up  a  regular  town 
greenhorn,  fit  for  nothing  but  to  walk  about  in  a 
long  coat  and  to  talk  pleasant  to  women ;  but  this'll 
jest  be  the  making  of  him.  With  your  permission, 
cap,  I'll  take  him  under  my  charge  and  teach 
him  to  use  his  eyes  and  his  ears,  and  I  reckon  he'll 
turn  out  as  good  an  Injun  fighter  as  you'll  see  on 
the  frontier." 

"  But  it  is  not  Indians  that  we  are  going  to  fight, 
Peter,"  Captain  Wilson  said.  "  I  heartily  wish  it 
was." 

"  It'll  be  the  same  thing,"  Peter  said  ;  "  not  here, 
in  course  ;  there'll  be  battles  between  the  regulars 
and  the  colonists,  regular  battles  like  that  at 
Quebec,  where  both  parties  was  fools  enough  to 
march  about  in  the  open  and  get  shot  down  by 
hundreds.  I  don't  call  that  fighting ;  that's  jest 
killing,  and  there  ain't  no  more  sense  in  it  than  in 
two  herd  of  buffalo  charging  each  other  on  the 
prairie.  But  there'll  be  plenty  of  real  fighting — 
expeditions  in  the  woods  and  Injun  skirmishes,  for 
you'll  be  sure  that  the  Injuns'll  join  in,  some  on 
one  side  and  some  on  the  other ;  it  ain't  in  their 
nature  to  sit  still  in  their  villages  while  powder'* 


96  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

being  burned.  A  few  months  of  this  work  will 
'make  a  man  of  him,  and  he  might  have  a  worse 
teacher  than  Peter  Lambton.  You  jest  hand  him 
over  to  my  care,  cap,  and  I'll  teach  him  all  I  know 
of  the  ways  of  the  woods,  and  I  tell  yer  there  ain't 
no  better  kind  of  edication  for  a  young  fellow.  He 
larns  to  use  the  senses  God  has  given  him,  to  keep 
his  head  when  another  man  would  lose  his  presence 
of  mind,  to  have  the  eye  of  a  hawk  and  the  ear  of  a 
hound,  to  get  so  that  he  scarcely  knows  what  it  is 
to  be  tired  or  hungry,  to  be  able  to  live  while  other 
men  would  starve,  to  read  the  signs  of  the  woods 
like  a  printed  book,  and  to  be  in  every  way  a  man 
and  not  a  tailor's  figure." 

"There  is  a  great  deal  in  what  you  say,  old 
friend,"  Captain  Wilson  answered,  "and  such  a 
training  cannot  but  do  a  man  good.  I  wish  with  all 
my  heart  that  it  had  been  entirely  with  red  foes 
that  the  fighting  was  to  be  done.  However,  that 
cannot  be  helped,  and  as  he  is  to  fight  he  could  not 
be  in  better  hands  than  yours.  So  long  as  we  re- 
main here  I  shall  teach  him  what  drill  I  can  with 
the  rest  of  the  company,  but  when  we  leave  this 
town  and  the  work  really  begins  I  shall  put  him  in 
your  charge  to  learn  the  duties  of  a  scout." 

The  young  negro,  Jake,  had  also  enlisted,  for 
throughout  the  war  the  negroes  fought  on  both 
sides,  according  to  the  politics  of  their  masters. 
There  were  only  two  other  negroes  in  the  company, 
and  Captain  Wilson  had  some  hesitation  in  enlisting 
them,  but  they  made  good  soldiers.  In  the  case  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  97 

Jake,  Captain  Wilson  knew  that  he  was  influenced 
in  his  wish  to  join  solely  by  his  affection  for  Harold, 
and  the  lad's  father  felt  that  in  the  moment  of 
danger  the  negro  would  be  ready  to  lay  down  his 
life  for  him. 

There  was  great  satisfaction  in  the  band  'when 
they  received  news  that  they  were  at  last  about  to 
take  the  field.  The  long  inaction  had  been  most 
wearisome  to  them,  and  they  knew  that  any  fight- 
ing that  would  take  place  round  Boston  would  be 
done  by  the  regular  troops.  Food,  too,  was  very 
scarce  in  town,  and  they  were  heartily  weary  of  the 
regular  drill  and  discipline.  They  were,  then,  in 
high  spirits  as  they  embarked  on  board  the  Thetis 
sloop-of-war  and  sailed  from  Boston  harbor. 

It  was  a  pitiful  parting  between  Mrs.  Wilson  and 
her  husband  and  son.  It  had  been  arranged  that 
she  should  sail  for  England  in  a  ship  that  was  leav- 
ing in  the  following  week  and  should  there  stay 
with  her  husband's  family,  from  whom  she  had  a 
warm  invitation  to  make  their  home  her  own  until 
the  war  was  over. 

The  Thetis  ran  out  to  sea.  As  soon  as  night  fell 
her  bow  was  turned  to  land  again,  and  about  mid- 
night the  anchor  was  let  fall  near  the  shore  some 
twenty  miles  north  of  Boston.  The  landing  was 
quickly  effected,  and  with  three  days'  provisions  in 
their  knapsacks  the  little  party  started  on  their 
march. 

One  of  the  scouts  who  had  come  from  that 
neighborhood  led  them  by  paths  which  avoided  a,U 


98  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

villages  and  farms.  At  daybreak  they  bivouacked 
in  a  wood  and  at  nightfall  resumed  the  march.  By 
the  next  morning  they  had  left  the  settlements  be- 
hind and  entered  a  belt  of  swamp  and  forest  ex- 
tending west  to  the  St.  Lawrence. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  99 


OHAPTEK  VI. 

SCOUTING. 

A  PABTT  of  six  men  were  seated  around  a  fire  in 
the  forest  which  covered  the  slopes  of  the  northern 
shore  of  Lake  Champlain.  The  spot  had  been 
chosen  because  a  great  tree  had  fallen,  bringing 
down  several  others  in  its  course,  and  opening  a 
vista  through  which  a  view  could  be  obtained  of 
the  surface  of  the  lake.  The  party  consisted  of 
Peter  Larabton,  Harold,  Jake,  Ephraim  Potter, 
another  old  frontiersman,  and  two  Indians. 

The  company  under  Captain  Wilson  had  made 
its  way  safely  to  the  St.  Lawrence  after  undergoing 
considerable  hardships  in  the  forest.  They  had 
been  obliged  to  depend  entirely  on  what  game  they 
could  shoot  and  such  fish  as  they  could  catch  in  the 
rivers  whose  course  they  followed.  They  had, 
however,  reached  Montreal  without  loss,  and  there 
tney  found  that  General  Carleton  had  in  all  about 
five  hundred  regulars  and  about  two  hundred 
volunteers  who  had  recently  been  engaged. 

It  was  clear  that  if  the  people  of  Canada  were  as 
hostile  to  the  connection  with  England  as  were 
those  of  the  other  colonies,  the  little  force  at  the 
disposal  of  the  English  general  could  do  nothing  to 


100  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

defend  the  colony  against  the  strong  force  which 
the  Americans  were  collecting  for  its  invasion. 
Fortunately  this  was  not  the  case.  Although  the 
Canadians  were  of  French  descent  and  the  province 
had  been  wrested  by  arras  from  France,  they  for 
the  most  part  preferred  being  under  English  rule  to 
joining  the  insurgent  colonies.  They  had  been  in 
no  way  oppressed  by  England,  their  property  had 
been  respected,  and  above  all  things  no  attempt 
had  ever  been  made  to  interfere  with  their  religion. 
In  the  New  England  provinces  the  hard  puritan 
spirit  of  the  early  fathers  had  never  ceased  to 
prevail.  Those  who  had  fled  from  England  to 
obtain  freedom  of  worship  had  been  intolerant 
persecutors  of  all  religion  different  from  their  own. 
The  consequence  was  that  the  priests  of  Canada 
were  wholly  opposed  to  any  idea  of  union  with  the 
insurgent  colonists.  Their  influence  over  the 
people  was  great,  and  although  these  still  objected 
to  the  English  rule  and  would  have  readily  taken 
up  arms  against  it  under  other  circumstances,  they 
had  too  little  sympathy  with  the  New  Englanders 
to  join  in  their  movement,  which,  if  successful, 
would  have  placed  Canada  under  the  rule  of  the 
United  States  instead  of  that  of  England. 

The  upper  classes  of  Canadians  were  almost  to  a 
man  loyal  to  the  English  connection.  They  had 
been  well  treated  and  enjoyed  a  greater  state  of  in- 
dependence than  had  been  the  case  under  French 
rule.  Moreover,  they  were  for  the  most  part  de- 
scended from  old  French  families,  and  their  sympa- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  101 

thies  were  entirely  opposed  to  popular  insurrection. 
Thus  when  Captain  Wilson  and  his  party  reached 
Montreal  they  found  that,  in  spite  of  the  paucity  of 
English  troops  under  the  command  of  General 
Carleton,  the  position  was  not  so  bad  as  had  been 
feared  by  General  Gage.  It  was  possible,  and  in- 
deed probable,  that  Upper  Canada  might  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  Americans,  and  that  even  Quebec 
itself  might  be  captured  ;  but  unless  the  people 
joined  the  Americans  the  success  of  the  latter  would 
be  but  temporary.  With  the  spring  the  navigation 
of  the  river  would  be  open  and  reinforcements 
would  arrive  from  England.  The  invaders  would 
then  be  at  a  disadvantage.  Separated  from  home 
by  a  wide  tract  of  forest-covered  country,  they 
would  have  the  greatest  difficulty  in  transporting 
artillery,  ammunition,  and  stores,  and  fighting  as 
an  army  in  invasion  they  would  be  placed  in  a  very 
different  position  to  that  occupied  by  the  colonists 
fighting  on  their  own  ground.  It  was  probable 
that  for  a  time  the  tide  of  invasion  would  succeed. 

The  Indians  of  the  Five  Nations,  as  those  dwell- 
ing near  the  British  frontier  at  this  point  were 
called,  had  volunteered  their  services  to  the  gen- 
eral to  cross  the  frontier  to  recapture  Ticon- 
deroga  and  Crown  Point,  which  had  been  seized 
by  the  Americans,  and  to  carry  the  war  into  the 
colonies.  But  General  Carleton,  an  exceedingly 
humane  and  kind-hearted  man,  shrank  from  the 
horrors  that  such  a  warfare  would  entail  upon  the 
colonists.  He  accepted  the  services  of  the  Indians 


102  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

as  far  as  the  absolute  defense  of  Canada  from  in- 
vasion, but  refused  to  allow  them  to  cross  the 
frontier. 

On  the  arrival  of  Captain  Wilson  with  his  little 
force  he  was  ordered  to  march  at  once  to  the  fort 
of  St.  John's,  which  was  held  by  a  party  of  regular 
troops. 

On  arriving  at  that  place  the  two  scouts  had  been 
sent  down  toward  Lake  Champlain  to  watch  the 
proceedings  of  the  enemy.  Harold  had  obtained 
leave  from  his  father  to  accompany  the  scouts,  and 
Jake  had  been  permitted  to  form  one  of  the  party. 
Peter  Lambton  had  grumbled  a  little  at  this  last 
addition  to  the  number.  He  knew  Jake's  affection 
for  his  young  master,  and  the  great  strength  of  the 
negro  would  have  rendered  him  useful  in  a  hand-to- 
hand  fight,  but  he  was  altogether  unaccustomed  to 
forest  work,  and  his  habit  of  bursting  into  fits  of 
laughter  on  the  smallest  provocation,  as  is  the 
manner  of  his  race,  enraged  the  scout  to  the  last 
degree.  Indeed,  he  had  not  left  the  fort  above  an 
hour  when  he  turned  savagely  on  the  negro. 

"  Look-ee  here,"  he  said,  "  if  that's  the  way  ye're 
a-going  on,  the  sooner  ye  turns  yer  face  and  tramps 
back  to  the  fort  the  better.  When  you  were  at 
Concord  it  done  no  harm  to  make  as  much  noise  as 
a  jackass  braying  whenever  you  opened  that  mouth 
of  yours,  but  it  won't  do  in  the  forests.  It  would 
cost  us  our  har  and  your  wool  ef  yer  were  to  make 
that  noise  with  the  enemy  anywhere  within  fifteen 
miles  of  yer.  I  ain't  a-going,  if  I  knows  it,  to  risk 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  103 

my  sculp  on  such  a  venture  as  this,  still  less  I  ain't 
a-going  to  see  this  young  chap's  life  thrown  away. 
His  father  hez  put  him  in  ray  charge,  and  I  ain't 
a-going  to  see  him  sacrificed  in  no  such  way.  So 
ye've  got  to  make  up  yer  mind ;  yer  have  got  to 
keep  that  mouth  of  yours  shut  tight  or  yer've  got 
to  tramp  back  to  the  fort." 

Jake  gave  many  promises  of  silence,  and  although 
at  first  he  often  raised  his  voice  to  a  point  far  ex- 
ceeding that  considered  by  the  hunters  safe  in  the 
woods,  he  was  each  time  checked  by  such  a  savage 
growl  on  the  part  of  Peter  or  by  a  punch  in  the 
ribs  from  Harold  that  he  quickly  fell  into  the  ways 
of  the  others  and  never  spoke  above  a  loud 
whisper. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  fort  they  were  joined 
by  the  two  Indians,  who  were  also  out  on  a  scouting 
expedition  on  their  own  account.  They  had  pre- 
viously been  well  known  both  to  Peter  and  Ephraim. 
They  were  warriors  of  the  Seneca  tribe,  one  of  the 
Five  Nations. 

They  had  now  been  for  two  days  on  the  north 
shore  of  Lake  Champlain.  They  were  sitting  round 
a  fire  eating  a  portion  of  a  deer  which  had  been 
shot  by  Harold  that  morning.  So  far  they  had 
seen  nothing  of  the  enemy.  They  knew  that  three 
thousand  men,  under  Schuyler  and  Montgomery, 
had  marched  to  the  other  end  of  the  lake.  The 
colonists  had  been  sending  proclamations  across  the 
frontier  to  the  inhabitants,  saying  that  they  were 
coming  as  friends  to  free  them  from  the  yoke  of 


104  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

England  and  calling  upon  them  to  arise  and  strike 
for  freedom.  They  were  also  in  negotiation  with 
some  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Five  Nations  and  with 
other  Indian  tribes  to  induce  them  to  join  with 
them. 

"  I  propose,"  Peter  said  when  the  meal  was  fin- 
ished  and  he  had  lighted  his  pipe,  "to  go  down  the 
lake  and  see  what  they're  doing.  Deer  Tail  here 
tells  me  that  he  knows  where  there's  a  canoe.  He, 
Harold,  and  me  will  go  and  reconnoiter  a  bit ;  the 
other  three  had  best  wait  here  till  we  comes  back 
with  news.  In  course,  chief,"  he  continued  to  the 
other  Indian,  after  explaining  to  him  in  his  own 
language  what  he  intended  to  do,  :'  you'll  be  guided 
by  circumstances — you  can  see  a  long  way  down 
the  lake,  and  ef  anything  should  lead  you  to  think 
that  we're  in  trouble,  you  can  take  such  steps  as 
may  seem  best  to  you.  It's  mighty  little  I  should 
think  of  the  crowd  of  colonists  ;  but  ef,  as  you  say, 
a  number  of  the  warriors  of  the  Five  Nations,  indig- 
nant at  the  rejection  of  their  offers  by  the  English 
general,  have  gone  down  and  joined  the  colonists, 
it'll  be  a  different  affair  altogether." 

The  Elk,  as  the  second  Seneca  chief  was  called, 
nodded  his  assent.  In  a  few  words  Peter  told  Har- 
old what  had  been  arranged.  Jake  looked  down- 
cast when  he  heard  that  he  was  not  to  accompany 
his  master,  but  as  he  saw  the  latter  had  since  leav- 
ing the  fort  obeyed  without  questioning  every  sug- 
gestion of  the  scout,  he  offered  no  remonstrance. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Peter  rose,  Deer  Tail 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  105 

followed  his  example,  and  Harold  at  once  took  up 
his  rifle  and  fell  in  in  their  steps.  There  was  but 
little  talk  in  the  woods,  and  the  matter  having  been 
settled,  it  did  not  enter  the  mind  either  of  Peter  or 
of  the  Indian  to  say  a  word  of  adieu  to  their  com- 
rades. Harold  imitated  their  example,  but  gave  a 
nod  and  a  smile  to  Jake  as  he  started. 

Half  an  hour's  tramp  took  them  to  the  shore  of 
the  lake.  Here  they  halted  for  a  minute  while  the 
Indians  closely  examined  the  locality.  With  the 
wonderful  power  of  making  their  way  straight 
through  the  forest  to  the  required  spot,  which  seems 
to  be  almost  an  instinct  among  Indians,  Deer  Tail 
had  struck  the  lake  within  two  hundred  yards  of 
the  point  which  he  aimed  at.  He  led  the  way  along 
the  shore  until  he  came  to  a  spot  where  a  great 
maple  had  fallen  into  the  lake  ;  here  he  turned  into 
the  forest  again,  and  in  fifty  yards  came  to  a  clump 
of  bushes ;  these  he  pushed  aside  and  pointed  to  a 
canoe  which  was  lying  hidden  among  them.  Peter 
joined  him,  the  two  lifted  the  boat  out,  placed  it  on 
their  shoulders,  and  carried  it  to  the  lake.  There 
were  three  paddles  in  it.  Peter  motioned  Harold 
to  take  his  place  in  the  stern  and  steer,  while  he 
and  the  Indian  knelt  forward  and  put  their  paddles 
in  the  water. 

"  Keep  her  along  on  the  right  shore  of  the  lake, 
about  fifty  yards  from  the  trees.  There's  no  fear 
of  any  one  lurking  about  near  this  end." 

The  canoe  was  light  and  well  made  and  darted 
quickly  over  the  water  under  the  strokes  of  the  two 


106  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

paddlers.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they 
started,  and  before  they  had  gone  many  miles  dark- 
ness had  fallen.  The  canoe  was  run  in  close  to 
shore,  where  she  lay  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees  until 
morning.  Just  as  the  sun  rose  the  redskin  and 
Peter  simultaneously  dipped  their  paddles  in  the 
water  and  sent  the  canoe  under  the  arches  of  the 
trees.  They  had  at  the  same  instant  caught  sight  of 
four  canoes  making  their  way  along  the  lake. 

"Them's  Injuns,"  Peter  whispered.  "They're 
scouting  to  see  if  the  lake's  free.  If  the  general 
could  have  got  a  couple  of  gunboats  up  the  Sorrel 
the  enemy  could  never  have  crossed  the  lake,  and  it 
would  have  given  them  a  month's  work  to  take  their 
guns  round  it.  It's  lucky  we  were  well  under  the 
trees  or  we  should  have  been  seen.  What  had  we 
best  do,  Deer  Tail  ?" 

For  two  or  three  minutes  the  scouts  conversed 
together  in  the  Indian  tongue. 

"  The  Seneca  agrees  with  me,"  Peter  said.  "  It's 
like  enough  there  are  Injuns  scouting  along  both 
shores.  "We  must  lay  up  here  till  nightfall.  Ef 
we're  seen  they'd  signal  by  smoke,  and  we  should 
have  them  canoes  back  again  in  no  time.  By  their 
coming  I  expect  the  expedition  is  starting,  but  it 
won't  do  t«  go  back  without  being  sure  of  it." 

The  canoe  was  paddled  to  a  spot  where  the 
bushes  grew  thickly  by  the  bank.  It  was  pushed 
among  these,  and  the  three,  after  eating  some 
cooked  deer's  flesh  which  they  had  brought  with 
them,  prepared  to  pass  the  day. 


TR  US  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  107 

"  The  Seneca  and  I'll  keep  watch  by  turns,w  the 
scout  said.  "  We'll  wake  you  if  we  want  ye." 

Harold  was  by  this  time  sufficiently  accustomed 
to  the  ways  of  the  woods  to  obey  orders  at  once 
without  offering  to  take  his  turn  at  watching,  as  his 
inclination  led  him  to  do,  and  he  was  soon  sound 
asleep.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  he  was 
awoke  by  the  scout  touching  him. 

"  Theres'  some  critters  coming  along  the  bank," 
he  said  in  a  whisper.  "  They  ain't  likely  to  see  us, 
but  it's  best  to  be  ready." 

Harold  sat  up  in  the  canoe,  rifle  in  hand,  and 
listening  intently  heard  a  slight  sound  such  as  would 
be  produced  by  the  snapping  of  a  twig.  Presently 
he  heard  upon  the  other  side  of  the  bushes,  a  few 
yards  distant,  a  few  low  words  in  the  Indian  tongue. 
He  looked  at  his  companions.  They  were  sitting 
immovable,  each  with  his  rifle  directed  toward  the 
sound,  and  Harold  thought  it  would  fare  badly  with 
any  of  the  passers  if  they  happened  to  take  a  fancy 
to  peer  through  the  bushes.  The  Indians  had, 
however,  no  reason  for  supposing  that  there  were 
any  enemies  upon  the  lake,  and  they  consequently 
passed  on  without  examining  more  closely  the 
thicket  by  the  shore.  Not  until  it  was  perfectly 
dark  did  Peter  give  the  sign  for  the  continuance  of 
the  journey.  This  time,  instead  of  skirting  the  lake, 
the  canoe  was  steered  out  toward  its  center.  For 
some  time  they  paddled,  and  then  several  lights 
were  seen  from  ahead. 

"  I  thought  so,"  the  scout  said.    "  They've  crossed 


108  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

to  the  Isle  La  Motte  and  they're  making  as  many 
fires  as  if  they  war  having  a  sort  of  picnic  at  home. 
We  must  wait  till  they  burns  out,  for  we  daren't  go 
near  the  place  with  the  water  lit  up  for  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  round.  It  won't  be  long,  for  I 
reckon  it  must  be  past  eleven  o'clock  now." 

The  fires  were  soon  seen  to  burn  down.  The 
paddles  were  dipped  in  the  water  and  the  canoe 
approached  the  island. 

"  I'd  give  something,"  Peter  said,  "  to  know 
whether  there's  any  redskins  there.  Ef  there  are, 
our  chance  of  landing  without  being  seen  ain't 
worth  talking  of;  ef  there  ain't  we  might  land 
a  hull  fleet ;  at  any  rate  we  must  risk  it.  Now, 
Harold,  the  chief  and  me'll  land  and  find  out  how 
many  men  there  are  here,  and  ef  we  can  how  long 
they're  likely  to  stop.  You  keep  the  canoe  about 
ten  yards  from  shore,  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees, 
and  be  ready  to  move  close  the  instant  you  hear  my 
call.  I'll  jest  give  the  croak  of  a  frog.  The  instant 
we  get  in  you  paddle  off  without  a  word.  Bf  ye 
hears  any  shouts  and  judges  as  how  we've  been 
seen,  ye  must  jest  act  upon  the  best  of  yer 
judgment." 

The  boat  glided  noiselessly  up  to  the  shore.  All 
was  still  there,  the  encampment  being  at  the  other 
side  of  the  island.  The  two  scouts,  red  and  white, 
stepped  noiselessly  on  to  the  land.  Harold  backed 
the  canoe  a  few  paces  with  a  quick  stroke  upon  the 
paddle,  and  seeing  close  to  him  a  spot  where  a  long 
branch  of  a  tree  dipped  into  the  water,  he  guided 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  109 

the  canoe  among  the  foliage  and  there  sat  without 
movement,  listening  almost  breathlessly. 

Ere  man}^  minutes  had  elapsed  he  heard  footsteps 
coming  along  the  shore.  They  stopped  when  near 
him.  Three  or  four  minutes  passed  without  the 
slightest  sound,  and  then  a  voice  said,  in  tones 
which  the  speaker  had  evidently  tried  to  lower,  but 
which  were  distinctly  audible  in  the  canoe  : 

"  I  tell  yer,  redskin,  it  seems  to  me  as  how  you've 
brought  us  here  on  a  fool's  errand.  I  don't  see  no 
signs  of  a  canoe,  and  it  ain't  likely  that  the  British 
would  be  along  the  lake  here,  seeing  as  how  there's 
a  score  of  canoes  with  your  people  in  them  scouting 
ahead." 

"  I  heard  canoe,"  another  voice  said,  "  first  at 
other  end  of  the  island  and  then  coming  along 
here." 

"  And  ef  yer  did,"  the  first  speaker  said,  "  likely 
enough  it  was  one  of  the  canoes  of  your  people." 

"  No,"  the  Indian  answered.  "  If  canoe  eome 
back  with  news  would  have  come  straight  to  fires." 

"  "Well,  it  ain't  here,  anyway,"  the  first  speaker 
said,  "  and  I  don't  believe  yer  ever  heard  a  canoe  at 
all.  It's  enough  to  make  a  man  swear  to  be  called 
up  jest  as  we  were  making  ourselves  comfortable 
for  the  night  on  account  of  an  Injun's  fancies.  I 
wonder  at  the  general's  listening  to  them.  How- 
ever, we've  got  our  orders  to  go  round  the  island 
and  see  ef  there's  any  canoe  on  either  shore  ;  so  we'd 
better  be  moving,  else  we  shall  not  get  to  sleep  be- 
fore morning." 


210  TRUJS  TO  THB  OLD  FLAG. 

Harold  held  his  breath  as  the  group  passed 
opposite  to  him.  Fortunately  the  trunk  of  the  tree 
grew  from  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  and  there 
were  several  bushes  growing  round  it,  so  that  al 
this  point  the  men  had  to  make  a  slight  detour  in- 
land. Harold  felt  thankful  indeed  that  he  had 
taken  the  precaution  of  laying  his  canoe  among  the 
thick  foliage,  for  although  the  night  was  dark  it 
would  have  been  instantly  seen  had  it  been  lying  on 
the  surface  of  the  lake.  Even  as  it  was,  a  close  in- 
spection might  have  detected  it,  but  the  eyes  of  the 
party  were  fixed  on  the  shore,  as  it  was  there,  if  at 
all,  that  they  expected  to  find  an  empty  canoe 


Harold  was  uneasy  at  the  discovery  that  there 
were  still  some  redskins  on  the  island.  It  was  pos- 
sible, of  course,  that  the  one  he  had  heard  might  be 
alone  as  a  scout,  but  it  was  more  likely  that  others 
of  the  tribe  were  also  there. 

After  landing,  Peter  and  the  Seneca  made  their 
way  across  the  island  to  the  side  facing  the  Ameri- 
can shore.  Creeping  cautiously  along,  they  found 
a  large  number  of  flat-bottomed  boats,  in  which  the 
Americans  had  crossed  from  the  mainland,  and 
which  were,  Peter  thought,  capable  of  carrying  two 
thousand  men.  They  now  made  their  way  toward 
the  spot  where  the  forces  were  encamped.  The 
fires  had  burned  low,  but  round  a  few  of  them  men 
were  still  sitting  and  talking.  Motioning  to  the 
Seneca  to  remain  quiet,  Peter  sauntered  cautiously 
out  on  to  the  clearing  where  the  camp  was  formed. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  HI 

He  had  little  fear  of  detection,  for  he  wore  no  uni- 
form, and  his  hunter's  dress  afforded  no  index  to 
the  party  to  which  he  was  attached. 

A  great  portion  of  the  Americans  were  still  in 
their  ordinary  attire,  it  having  been  impossible  to 
furnish  uniforms  for  so  great  a  number  of  men  as 
had  been  suddenly  called  to  arms  throughout  the 
colonies. 

From  the  arbors  of  boughs  which  had  been 
erected  in  all  directions,  he  judged  that  the  force 
had  been  already  some  days  upon  the  island.  But 
large  numbers  of  men  were  sleeping  in  the  open 
air,  and  picking  his  way  cautiously  among  them,  he 
threw  himself  down  at  a  short  distance  from  one  of 
the  fires  by  which  three  or  four  men  were  sitting. 

For  some  time  they  talked  of  camp  matters,  the 
shortness  of  food,  and  want  of  provisions. 

"  It  is  bad  here,"  one  said  presently  ;  "  it  will  be 
worse  when  we  move  forward.  Schuyler  will  be 
here  to-morrow  with  the  rest  of  the  army,  and  we 
are  to  move  down  to  Isle-aux-Noix,  at  the  end  of 
the  lake,  and  I  suppose  we  shall  land  at  once  and 
march  against  St.  John's.  There  are  only  a  couple 
of  hundred  Britishers  there,  and  we  shall  make 
short  work  of  them." 

"  The  sooner  the  better,  I  say,"  another  speaker 
remarked.  "  I  am  ready  enough  to  fight,  but  I  hate 
all  this  waiting  about.  I  want  to  get  back  to  my 
farm  again." 

"  You  are  in  a  hurry,  you  are,"  the  other  said. 
"  You  don't  suppose  we  are  going  to  take  Canada 


112  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

in  a  week's  time,  do  you  ?  Even  if  the  Canadians 
join  us,  and  by  what  I  hear  that  ain't  so  sartin  after 
all,  we  shall  have  to  march  down  to  Quebec,  and 
that's  no  child's  play.  I  know  the  country  there. 
It  is  now  September  4.  Another  month  and  the 
winter  will  be  upon  us,  and  a  Canadian  winter  is  no 
joke,  I  can  tell  you." 

"The  more  reason  for  not  wasting  any  more 
time,"  the  other  one  grumbled.  "  If  Montgomery 
had  his  way  we  should  go  at  them  quickly  enough, 
but  Schuyler  is  always  delaying.  He  has  kept  us 
waiting  now  since  the  17th  of  last  month.  "We 
might  have  been  half-way  to  Quebec  by  this  time." 

"  Yes,"  the  other  said,  "  if  the  Britishers  had  run 
away  as  we  came  ;  but  we  have  got  St.  John's  and 
Fort  Chamblee  to  deal  with,  and  they  may  hold 
out  some  time.  However,  the  sooner  we  begin  the 
job  the  sooner  it  will  be  over,  and  I  am  heartily 
glad  that  we  move  to-morrow." 

Peter  had  now  obtained  the  information  he  re- 
quired, and  rising  to  his  feet  again,  with  a  grum- 
bling remark  as  to  the  hardness  of  the  ground,  he 
sauntered  away  toward  the  spot  where  he  had  left 
the  Indian.  Just  as  he  did  so  a  tall  figure  came  out 
from  an  arbor  close  by.  A  fire  was  burning  just  in 
front,  and  Peter  saw  that  he  was  a  tall  and  hand- 
some man  of  about  forty  years  of  age.  He  guessed 
at  once  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  the  colonial 
leader. 

"You  are,  like  myself,"  the  new-comer  said, 
"  unable  to  sleep,  I  suppose  ?" 


TRUE  TO  TSB  OLD  FLAG.  H3 

"  Yes,  general,"  Peter  answered.  "  I  found  I 
could  not  get  off,  and  so  I  thought  I'd  stretch  my 
legs  in  the  wood  a  bit.  They're  lying  so  tarnal 
thick  down  there  by  the  fires,  one  can't  move  with- 
out treading  on  'em." 

"  Which  regiment  do  you  belong  to  ?" 

"  The  Connecticut,"  Peter  replied,  for  he  knew 
by  report  that  a  regiment  from  this  province 
formed  part  of  the  expedition. 

"  As  good  men  as  any  I  have,"  the  general  said 
cordially.  "  Their  only  fault  is  that  they  are  in  too 
great  a  hurry  to  attack  the  enemy." 

"  I  agree  with  the  rest,  general,"  Peter  said, 
'it's  dull  work  wasting  our  time  here  when  we're 
wanted  at  home.  I  enlisted  for  six  months,  and  the 
sooner  the  time's  up  the  better,  say  I." 

"  You  have  heard  nothing  moving  ?"  the  general 
asked.  "One  of  the  Chippewas  told  me  that  he 
heard  a  canoe  out  in  the  lake.  Ah  !  here  he  is." 

At  that  moment  five  or  six  men,  headed  by  an 
Indian,  issued  from  the  wood  close  by.  It  was  too 
late  for  Peter  to  try  to  withdraw,  but  he  stepped 
aside  a  pace  or  two  as  the  party  approached. 

"Well,  have  you  found  anything?"  the  general 
asked. 

"  No  find,"  the  Chippewa  said  shortly. 

"  I  don't  believe  as  there  ever  was  a  canoe  there," 
the  man  who  followed  him  said.  "  It  was  jest  a 
fancy  of  the  Injun's." 

"  No  fancy,"  the  Indian  asserted  angrily.  "  Canoe 
there.  No  find." 


114  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  It  might  have  been  one  of  our  own  canoes," 
Montgomery  said  in  a  conciliatory  tone.  "  The  In- 
dians are  seldom  mistaken.  Still,  if  no  one  has 
landed  it  matters  not  either  way." 

"  Only  as  we  have  had  a  tramp  for  nothing,"  the 
colonist  said.  "  However,  there's  time  for  a  sleep 
yet.  Hullo !"  he  exclaimed  as  his  eye  fell  on  Peter 
Lambton.  "  What,  Peter  !  Why,  how  did  you  get 
here?  Why,  I  thought  as  how — general,"  he  ex- 
claimed, sharply  turning  to  Montgomery, "  this  man 
lives  close  to  me  at  Concord.  He's  a  royalist,  he  is, 
and  went  into  Boston  and  joined  the  corps  they  got 
up  there." 

"Seize  him!"  Montgomery  shouted,  but  it  was 
too  late. 

As  the  man  had  turned  to  speak  to  the  general 
Peter  darted  into  the  wood.  The  Chippewa,  with- 
out waiting  to  hear  the  statement  of  the  colonist,  at 
once  divined  the  state  of  things,  and  uttering  his 
war-whoop  dashed  after  the  fugitive.  Two  or  three 
of  the  colonists  instantly  followed,  and  a  moment 
later  three  or  four  Indians  who  had  been  lying  on 
the  ground  leaped  up  and  darted  like  phantoms  into 
the  wood. 

The  general  no  sooner  grasped  the  facts  than  he 
shouted  an  order  for  pursuit,  and  a  number  of  the 
men  most  accustomed  to  frontier  work  at  once  fol- 
lowed the  first  party  of  pursuers.  Others  would 
have  done  the  same,  but  Montgomery  shouted  that 
no  more  should  go,  as  they  would  only  be  in  the 
others'  way,  and  there  could  not  be  more  than  two 
or  three  spies  on  the  island. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  115 

After  the  Chippewa's  first  war-cry  there  was  si- 
lence for  the  space  of  a  minute  in  the  forest.  Then 
came  a  wild  scream,  mingled  with  another  Indian 
yell ;  a  moment  later  the  leading  pursuers  came 
upon  the  body  of  the  Chippewa.  His  skull  had 
been  cleft  with  a  tomahawk  and  the  scalp  was 
gone. 

As  they  were  clustered  round  the  body  two  or 
three  of  the  Indians  ran  up.  They  raised  the  Indian 
wail  as  they  saw  their  comrade  and  with  the  rest 
took  up  pursuit. 

Peter  and  the  Seneca  were  now  far  among  the 
trees,  and  as  their  pursuers  had  nothing  to  guide 
them,  they  reached  the  spot  where  they  had  left 
the  canoe  unmolested. 

On  the  signal  being  given,  Harold  instantly  pad- 
dled to  the  shore.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  until 
the  canoe  was  well  out  in  the  lake.  Occasional 
shots  were  heard  on  shore  as  the  pursuers  fired  at 
objects  which  they  thought  were  men.  Presently 
a  loud  Indian  cry  rose  from  the  shore. 

"  They  see  us,"  Peter  said.  "  We're  out  of  shot 
and  can  take  it  easy."  The  redskin  said  a  few 
words.  "  You're  right,  chief.  The  chief  says,"  he 
explained  to  Harold,  "  that  as  there  are  redskins  on 
the  island  they  have  probably  some  canoes.  The 
moon's  jest  getting  up  beyond  that  hill,  and  it'll  be 
light  enough  to  see  us  half  across  the  lake.  It 
would  not  matter  if  the  water  was  free ;  but  what 
with  injuns  prowling  along  the  shores  and  out  on 
the  lake,  we  shall  have  to  use  our  wits  to  save  our 


116  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

bar.  Look!"  he  exclaimed  two  or  three  minutes 
later  as  two  columns  of  bright  flame  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  them  shot  up  at  the  end  of  the  island. 
"  They're  Injun  signals.  As  far  as  they  can  be  seen 
Injuns  will  know  that  there  are  enemies  on  the 
lake.  Now,  paddle  your  hardest,  Harold,  and  do 
you,  chief,  keep  your  eyes  and  your  ears  open  for 
sights  and  sounds." 

Under  the  steady  strokes  of  the  three  paddles 
the  bark  canoe  sped  rapidly  over  the  water.  When 
the  moon  was  fairly  above  the  edge  of  the  hill  they 
halted  for  a  moment  and  looked  back.  The  two 
columns  of  fire  still  blazed  brightly  on  the  island, 
which  was  now  three  miles  astern,  and  two  dark 
spots  could  be  seen  on  the  water  about  half-way  be- 
tween them  and  it. 

"  You  can  paddle,  my  lads,"  Peter  Lambton  said 
to  the  distant  foes,  "  but  you'll  never  ketch  us.  I 
wouldn't  heed  you  if  it  weren't  for  the  other  varmint 
ahead." 

He  stood  up  in  the  canoe  and  looked  anxiously 
over  the  lake. 

"  It's  all  clear  as  far  as  I  can  see  at  present,"  he 
said. 

"  Can't  we  land.  Peter,  and  make  our  way  back 
on  foot?" 

"  Bless  you,"  Peter  said,  "  there  ain't  a  native 
along  the  shore  there  but  has  got  his  eye  on  this 
canoe.  "We  might  as  well  take  her  straight  back 
to  the  island  as  try  to  land.  Better  ;  for  we  should 
get  a  few  hours  before  they  tried  and  shot  us  there, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

while  the  Injuns  would  not  give  us  a  minute.  No, 
we  must  just  keep  to  the  water ;  and  now  paddle 
on  again,  but  take  it  quietly.  It's  no  odds  to  let 
them  varmints  behind  gain  on  us  a  little.  You 
needn't  think  about  them.  When  the  danger  comes 
we  shall  want  every  ounce  of  our  strength." 

For  half  an  hour  they  paddled  steadily  on.  The 
pursuing  canoes  were  now  less  than  a  mile  behind 
them. 

"  I'd  give  a  good  deal,"  muttered  the  scout,  "  for 
a  few  black  clouds  over  the  moon  ;  we'd  make  for 
shore  then  and  risk  it.  It  will  be  getting  daylight 
before  long.  Ah  !"  he  exclaimed,  pausing  suddenly 
as  the  chief  stopped  rowing,  "a  canoe  on  each  side 
is  rowing  out  to  cut  us  off." 

Harold  was  now  paddling  forward,  while  the 
scout  had  the  place  at  the  stern.  The  former  was 
surprised  to  feel  the  canoe  shooting  off  from  its 
former  course  at  right  angles  toward  the  shore ; 
then,  curving  still  more  round,  they  began  to  paddle 
back  along  the  lake. 

The  canoes  which  had  been  pursuing  them  were 
nearly  abreast  of  each  other.  They  had  embarked 
from  opposite  sides  of  the  island,  but  they  had  been 
gradually  drawing  together,  although  still  some 
distance  apart,  when  Peter  turned  his  canoe.  See- 
ing his  maneuver,  both  turned  to  head  him  off,  but 
by  so  doing  they  occupied  an  entirely  different 
position  in  relation  to  each  other,  one  canoe  being 
nearly  half  a  mile  nearer  to  them  than  the  other. 

"  Take  it  easy,"  Peter  said.   "  These  varmints  will 


118  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

cut  us  off  and  we've  got  to  fight,  but  we  can  cripple 
the  one  nearest  to  us  before  the  other  comes  up." 

The  boats  were  now  darting  over  the  water  in  a 
line  which  promised  to  bring  the  leading  canoe 
almost  in  collision  with  that  of  Peter.  When  with- 
in two  hundred  yards  of  each  other  Peter  ceased 
rowing. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  Harold,  see  if  you  can  pick  one 
of  them  fellows  off.  It's  no  easy  matter,  traveling 
at  the  pace  they  are.  You  fire  first." 

Harold  took  a  steady  aim  and  fired.  A  yell  of 
derision  told  that  he  had  missed.  The  Indians 
stopped  paddling.  There  was  a  flash  and  a  ball 
struck  the  canoe.  At  the  same  moment  Peter  fired. 

"  There's  one  down  !"  he  exclaimed. 

The  Seneca  fired,  but  without  result;  and  the 
three  unwounded  Indians  in  the  canoe — for  it  had 
contained  four  men — replied  with  a  volley. 

Harold  felt  a  burning  sensation,  as  if  a  hot  iron 
passed  across  his  arm. 

"  Hit,  boy  ?"  Peter  asked  anxiously  as  he  gave  a 
short  exclamation. 

"Nothing  to  speak  of,"  Harold  replied. 

"  The  varmints  are  lying  by  waiting  for  the  other 
canoe.  Paddle  straight  at  'em." 

The  Indians  at  once  turned  the  boat  and  paddled 
to  meet  their  companions,  who  were  fast  approach- 
ing. 

"  Now,"  Peter  exclaimed,  "  we've  got  'em  in  a 
line — a  steady  aim  this  time." 

The  three  rifles  spoke  out ;  one  of  the  Indians  fell 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  119 

into  the  boat  and  the  paddle  of  another  was  struck 
from  his  grasp. 

"  Now,"  the  scout  shouted, "  paddle  away.  We've 
got  'em  all  fairly  behind  us." 

Day  broke  just  as  they  were  again  abreast  of  the 
island.  One  canoe  was  following  closely,  two 
others  were  a  mile  and  a  half  behind,  while  the  one 
with  which  they  had  been  engaged  had  made  for 
the  shore. 

"What  do  you  mean  to  do?"  Harold  asked 
Peter. 

"  I  mean  to  run  as  close  as  I  can  round  the  end 
of  the  island,  and  then  make  for  the  place  where 
they  must  have  embarked  on  the  mainland.  They 
may  have  seen  the  signal  fires  there,  but  will  not 
know  what  has  been  going  on.  So  now  row  your 
best.  We  must  leave  the  others  as  far  behind  as 
possible." 

For  the  first  time  since  they  started  the  three 
paddlers  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost.  They 
had  little  fear  that  there  were  any  more  canoes  on 
the  island,  for  had  there  been  they  would  have 
joined  in  the  chase.  It  was  only  necessary  to  keep 
so  far  from  the  end  of  the  island  as  would  take  them 
out  of  reach  of  the  fire.  Several  shots  were  dis- 
charged as  they  passed,  but  these  fell  short  as  the 
canoe  shot  along  at  its  highest  rate  of  speed,  every 
stroke  taking  it  further  from  its  nearest  pursuer. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour's  paddling  this  canoe  was  a 
mile  and  a  half  behind.  Its  rowers  had  apparently 
somewhat  abated  their  speed  in  order  to  allow  the 


120  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

other  two  boats  to  draw  up  to  them,  for  the  result 
of  the  encounter  between  their  comrades  and  the 
fugitives  had  not  been  of  a  nature  to  encourage 
them  to  undertake  a  single-handed  contest  with 
them. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN   THE   FOREST. 

SEE,  Peter !"  Harold  exclaimed ;  "  there  is  a  whole 
fleet  of  boats  ahead." 

"  I  sees  'em,"  Peter  said,  "  and  have  seed  'em  for 
the  last  quarter  of  an  hour.  It's  Schuyler  with  the 
rest  of  what  they  calls  their  army.  Steer  a  little 
out  of  the  course ;  we  must  pass  close  by  'em. 
They  won't  suspect  nothing  wrong  and  will  suppose 
we  are  merely  carrying  a  message." 

In  half  an  hour  they  were  abreast  of  the  flotilla, 
consisting  of  flatboats  laden  with  troops.  With 
them  were  two  or  three  Indian  canoes.  Peter 
steered  so  as  to  pass  at  a  distance  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards.  They  rowed  less  strongly  now,  but 
still  vigorously.  There  was  a  shout  from  the  boat. 

"  All  well  on  the  island  ?" 

"  All  well,"  Peter  shouted  back,  waving  his  hand, 
and  without  further  word  the  canoe  passed  on. 
"There!  do  you  hear  that?"  Peter  exclaimed. 
"  They're  firing  shots  from  the  canoes  to  call  their 
attention.  The  chances  are  they  won't  hear  them, 
for  the  rattle  of  their  oars  and  the  talking  and  the 
row  they're  making  are  enough  to  drown  the  sound 


12$  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLA®. 

of  a  cannon.  Now  put  it  on  again  as  hard  as  you 
can.  Another  hour  will  take  us  to  the  landing- 
place." 

They  could  see  when  the  flotilla  came  up  to  the 
pursuing  boats  that  the  canoes  which  accompanied 
it  turned  their  heads  and  joined  in  the  pursuit,  but 
they  were  now  near  three  miles  ahead  and  there 
was  no  chance  whatever  of  their  being  overtaken. 
They  slackened  their  speed  slightly  as  they  ap- 
proached the  land,  and  rowed  up  to  the  landing- 
place  without  any  signs  of  extraordinary  haste.  A 
few  men  were  loitering  about. 

"  What's  the  news  from  the  island  ?"  one  asked  as 
they  landed. 

"  All  well  there,"  Peter  said. 

"  Did  you  see  anything  of  Schu3Tler  ?" 

"  Yes,  we  met  him  about  half-way  across." 

"  "What  have  you  come  for  ?" 

"  General  Montgomery  says  that  no  spare  flints 
have  been  sent  over  for  the  firelocks." 

"  I'll  swear  that  some  went,"  one  of  the  men  ex- 
claimed, "  for  I  packed  a  sack  of  them  myself  in 
one  of  the  boats." 

"I  s'pose  they  have  been  mislaid,"  Peter  said. 
"  Perhaps  some  of  the  stores  have  got  heaped  over 
'em.  Ef  you  are  quite  sartin,  we  have  had  our 
journey  for  nothing." 

"  As  sartin  as  life,"  the  man  replied.  "  I'll  swear 
to  the  sackful  of  flints ;  and  tarnation  heavy  they 
was  too." 

"  Well,  then,  I  need  not  trouble  about  it  further,'* 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  123 

Peter  said.  "  "We'll  take  a  rest  and  paddle  back  in 
an  hour  or  two.  Was  there  any  marks  on  the  sack, 
so  as  I  may  tell  the  general  how  to  look  for  it  ?" 

"  Marks  !"  the  man  repeated.  "  Why,  it  had 
'  Flints  '  written  on  it  in  big  black  letters  six  inches 
long.  It  must  turn  up,  anyhow.  They'll  find  it 
when  they  come  to  shift  the  stores." 

Then,  accompanied  by  his  two  companions,  Peter 
strolled  quietly  through  the  little  village,  Stop- 
ping at  a  small  store,  he  purchased  some  flour  and 
tea;  then  he  followed  the  road  inland  and  was 
soon  out  of  sight  of  the  village ;  he  stopped  for  a 
moment  and  then  shook  his  head. 

"It's  no  use  trying  to  hide  our  trail  here,"  he 
said.  "  The  road's  an  inch  thick  in  dust,  and  do 
what  we  will  they'll  be  able  to  see  where  we  turn 
off.  It's  our  legs  as  we  have  got  to  trust  to  for  a 
bit.  We've  got  a  good  half-hour's  start  of  the 
canoes ;  they  were  a  long  three  miles  behind  when 
we  struck  the  shore." 

Leaving  the  road,  he  led  the  way  with  a  long, 
swinging  stride  across  the  cultivated  land.  Twenty 
minutes'  walk  took  them  into  the  forest,  which  ex- 
tended from  the  shore  of  the  lake  many  miles  in- 
land. 

"  Take  off  your  boots,  Harold,"  he  said  as  he 
entered  the  wood.  "Them  heels  will  leave  marks 
that  a  redskin  could  pick  up  at  a  run.  Now  tread, 
as  near  as  you  can,  in  the  exact  spot  where  the 
Seneca  has  trodden  before  you.  He'll  follow  in  my 
track,  and  you  may  be  sure  that  I'll  choose  the 


124  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

hardest  bits  of  ground  I  can  come  across.    There, 
the  varmints  are  on  shore !" 

As  he  spoke  an  angry  yell  rose  from  the  distant 
village.  At  a  long,  steady  pace,  which  taxed  to  the 
utmost  Harold's  powers  as  a  walker,  they  kept  their 
way  through  the  woods,  not  pursuing  a  straight 
course,  but  turning,  winding,  and  zigzagging  every 
few  minutes.  Harold  could  not  but  feel  impatient 
at  what  seemed  to  him  such  a  loss  of  time,  especially 
when  a  yell  from  the  edge  of  the  wood  told  that 
the  Indians  had  traced  them  thus  far — showed,  too, 
that  they  were  far  nearer  than  before.  But,  as 
Peter  afterward  explained  to  him,  all  this  turning 
and  winding  made  it  necessary  for  the  Indians  to 
follow  every  step,  as  they  would  an  animal,  to  guess 
the  direction  they  had  taken.  The  weather  had 
been  dry  and  the  ground  was  hard  ;  therefore  the 
most  experienced  trapper  would  be  obliged  to  pro- 
ceed very  slowly  on  the  trail  and  would  frequently 
be  for  a  time  at  fault ;  whereas  had  they  continued 
in  a  straight  line  the  Indians  could  have  followed 
at  a  run,  contenting  themselves  with  seeing  the 
trail  here  and  there.  They  came  across  two  or 
three  little  streams  running  down  toward  the  lake. 
These  they  followed,  in  some  cases  up,  in  others 
down,  for  a  considerable  distance,  leaving  the  bed 
where  the  bushes  grew  thick  and  hid  the  marks  of 
their  feet  as  they  stepped  out  from  the  water. 
Harold  would  gladly  have  gone  at  a  run,  but  Peter 
never  quickened  his  pace.  He  knew  that  the  In- 
dians could  not  pick  up  the  trail  at  a  rate  faster 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  .  125 

than  that  at  which  they  were  going,  and  that  great 
delay  would  be  caused  at  each  of  the  little  streams, 
as  it  would  be  uncertain  whether  they  had  passed 
up  or  down. 

As  the  time  passed  the  Indian  yells,  which  had, 
when  the}^  first  entered  the  wood,  sounded  so  alarm- 
ingly near,  died  away,  and  a  perfect  stillness 
reigned  in  the  forest.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon 
before  Peter  halted. 

"  We  can  rest  now,"  he  said.  "  It'll  be  hours  be- 
fore the  critters  can  be  here.  Now  let  us  have  some 
tea." 

He  began  to  look  for  some  dried  sticks.  Harold 
offered  to  assist. 

"  You  sit  down,"  the  scout  said.  "  A  nice  sort  of 
fire  we  should  get  with  sticks  of  your  picking  up ! 
"Why,  we  should  have  a  smoke  that  would  bring  all 
the  Injuns  in  the  woods  on  to  us.  No,  the  sticks  as 
the  Seneca  and  me'll  pick  up  won't  give  as  much 
smoke  as  you  can  put  in  a  tea-cup  ;  but  I  wouldn't 
risk  even  that  if  we  was  nigh  the  lake,  for  it  might 
be  seen  by  any  redskins  out  in  a  canoe.  But  we  are 
miles  back  from  the  lake,  and  there  ain't  no  other 
open  space  where  they  could  get  a  view  over  the 
tree-tops." 

Harold  watched  the  Indian  and  the  scout  collect- 
ing dry  leaves  and  sticks,  and  took  particular  notice, 
for  future  use,  of  the  kinds  which  they  selected.  A 
light  was  struck  with  a  flint  and  steel,  and  soon  a 
bright  blaze  sprang  up,  without,  so  far  as  Harold 
could  see,  the  slightest  smoke  being  given  off.  Then 


126  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  hunter  produced  some  food  from  his  wallet  and 
a  tin  pot.  He  had  at  the  last  spring  they  passed 
filled  a  skin  which  hung  on  his  shoulder  with  water, 
and  this  was  soon  boiling  over  the  fire.  A  handful 
of  tea  was  thrown  in  and  the  pot  removed.  Some 
flour,  mixed  with  water,  was  placed  on  a  small  iron 
plate,  which  was  put  on  the  red-hot  ashes.  A  few 
cakes  were  baked,  and  with  these,  the  cold  venison, 
and  the  tea  an  ample  meal  was  made. 

After  nearly  an  hour's  halt  they  again  proceeded 
on  their  way.  A  consultation  had  taken  place  be- 
tween Peter  and  the  Seneca  as  to  the  best  course  to 
be  pursued.  They  could,  without  much  difficulty  or 
risk,  have  continued  the  way  through  the  woods  be- 
yond the  lake,  but  it  was  important  that  they  should 
reach  the  other  side  by  the  evening  of  the  following 
day,  to  give  warning  of  the  intended  attack  by  the 
Americans.  There  were,  they  knew,  other  redskins 
in  the  woods  besides  those  on  their  trail,  and  the 
nearer  they  approached  the  shore  the  greater  the 
danger.  They  had  determined  that  they  would  at 
all  hazards  endeavor  to  obtain  another  canoeu  and 
cross  the  lake.  Until  nightfall  they  continued  their 
course,  and  then,  knowing  that  their  trail  could  no 
longer  be  followed,  they  made  down  to  the  lake. 
They  were  many  miles  distant  from  it,  and  Harold 
was  completely  worn  out  when  at  last  he  saw  a 
gleam  of  water  through  the  trees.  He  was  not  yet 
to  rest.  -Entering  the  lake  they  began  wading 
through  it  at  a  few  feet  from  the  edge. 

After  an  hour's  walking  thus  they  entered  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  127 

bushes,  which  thickly  covered  the  shore,  and  made 
their  way  through  these  until  they  came  to  a  spot 
sufficiently  open  for  them  to  lie  down  ;  and  Harold, 
wrapping  himself  in  the  blanket  which  he  carried 
over  his  shoulder,  was  sound  asleep  in  less  than 
a  minute.  When  he  woke  the  sun  was  shining 
brightly. 

"  Get  up,  youngster.  "We're  in  luck,"  the  scout 
said.  "  Here's  a  canoe  with  two  of  the  varmints 
making  toward  the  shore.  By  the  way  they're 
going  they'll  land  not  far  off." 

The  scout  led  the  way,  crawling  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  to  the  water's  edge,  to  where  the  Seneca  was 
sitting  watching  the  canoe  through  a  cover  of  green 
leaves.  The  course  that  the  boat  was  taking  would 
lead  it  to  a  point  some  three  hundred  yards  from 
where  they  were  sitting. 

"  We  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  managing  them,1' 
Harold  said,  and  grasped  his  rifle  eagerly. 

"  Not  too  fast,"  Peter  said.  "  The  chances  are 
that  the  varmints  have  friends  on  shore.  Like  enough 
they  have  been  out  fishing." 

The  shore  formed  a  slight  sweep  at  this  point, 
and  the  bushes  in  which  they  were  hidden  occupied 
the  point  at  one  extremity.  In  the  center  of  the 
little  bay  there  was  a  spot  clear  from  bushes ;  to 
this  the  canoe  was  directed.  As  it  approached  the 
shore  two  other  Indians  appeared  at  the  water's 
edge.  One  of  them  asked  a  question,  and  in  reply 
a  paddler  held  up  a  large  bunch  of  fish. 

"Just  as  I  thought.  Like  enough  there  are  a 
dozen  of  them  there,"  said  Peter. 


128  TRUSS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

On  reaching  the  shore  the  men  sprang  out,  taking 
their  fish  with  them.  The  canoe  was  fastened  by 
its  head-rope  to  the  bushes,  and  the  Indians  moved 
a  short  distance  inland. 

"  There  is  their  smoke,"  Peter  said,  indicating  a 
point  some  thirty  feet  from  the  lake,  but  so  slight 
was  it  that  even  when  it  was  pointed .  out  to  him 
Harold  could  hardly  make  out  the  light  mist  rising 
from  among  the  bushes.  Presently  he  looked  round 
for  the  Seneca,  but  the  Indian  had  disappeared. 

"  He's  gone  scouting,"  Peter  said  in  answer  to 
Harold's  question.  "  Ef  there  are  only  four  of  them 
it  would  be  an  easy  job,  but  I  expect  there's  more 
of  the  red  varmints  there." 

In  ten  minutes  the  Seneca  returned  as  noiselessly 
as  he  had  gone.  He  opened  his  hand  and  all  the 
fingers  twice  ;  the  third  time  he  showed  only  three 
fingers. 

"  Thirteen,"  Peter  said.  "  Too  many  of  them 
even  for  a  sudden  onslaught." 

The  Indian  said  a  few  words  to  Peter  ;  the  latter 
nodded,  and  Deer  Tail  again  quietly  stole  away. 

"  He's  going  to  steal  the  boat,"  Peter  said.  "  It's 
a  risky  job,  for  where  it  lies  it  can  be  seen  by  'em 
as  they  sit.  Now,  you  and  me  must  be  ready  with 
our  shooting-irons  to  cover  him  if  need  be.  Ef  he's 
found  out  before  he  gets  the  boat  he'll  take  to  the 
woods  and  lead  them  away  from  us ;  but  ef  he's 
fairly  in  the  boat,  then  we  must  do  our  best  for  him. 
Ef  the  wust  comes  to  the  wust,  I  reckon  we  can 
hold  these  bushes  agin  'em  for  some  time ;  but  in 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  129 

the  end  I  don't  disguise  from  ye,  youngster,  they'll 
beat  us." 

Harold  now  sat  intently  watching  the  canoe.  It 
seemed  an  age  to  him  before  he  saw  a  hand  emerge 
from  the  bushes  and  take  hold  of  the  head-rope. 

The  motion  given  to  the  canoe  was  so  slight  as  to 
be  almost  imperceptible ;  it  seemed  as  if  it  was  only 
drifting  gently  before  the  slight  breeze  which  was 
creeping  over  the  surface  of  the  lake.  Half  its 
length  had  disappeared  from  the  open  space,  when 
an  Indian  appeared  by  the  edge  of  the  water.  He 
looked  at  the  canoe,  looked  over  the  lake,  and  with- 
drew again.  The  hand  had  disappeared  in  the 
bushes  on  his  approach.  The  movement  of  the 
canoe,  slight  as  it  was,  had  caught  his  eye,  but,  sat- 
isfied that  it  was  caused  only  by  the  wind,  he  had 
returned  to  his  fire  again.  The  hand  appeared 
again  through  the  bushes,  and  the  canoe  was  drawn 
along  until  hidden  from  the  sight  of  those  sitting 
by  the  fire.  Again  the  watchful  Indian  appeared, 
but  the  boat  was  lying  quietly  by  the  bushes  at  the 
full  length  of  its  head  rope.  He  stooped  down  to 
see  that  this  was  securely  fastened  and  again  re- 
tired. Harold  held  his  breath,  expecting  that  every 
moment  the  presence  of  the  Seneca  would  be  dis- 
covered. Scarcely  had  the  Indian  disappeared  than 
the  Seneca  crawled  out  from  the  bushes.  With  a 
sweep  of  his  knife  he  cut  the  rope  of  the  canoe  and 
noiselessly  entered  it,  and  as  he  did  so  gave  a  shove 
with  his  foot,  which  sent  it  dancing  along  the  shore 
toward  the  spot  where  Harold  and  his  companion 


130  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

were  hidden.  Then  he  seized  the  paddle,  and  in 
half  a  dozen  strokes  brought,  it  within  reach  of 
them.  Harold  and  Peter  stepped  into  it ;  as  they 
did  so  there  was  a  sudden  shout.  The  Indian  had 
again  strolled  down  to  look  at  the  canoe,  whose 
movements,  slight  as  they  had  been,  had  appeared 
suspicious  to  him.  He  now,  to  his  astonishment, 
saw  it  at  the  point  with  two  white  men  and  an  In- 
dian on  board.  He  had  left  his  gun  behind  him 
and,  uttering  his  war-cry,  bounded  back  for  it. 

"Round  the  p'int,  quick!"  Peter  exclaimed. 
"  They'll  riddle  us  in  the  open." 

Two  strokes  took  the  canoe  round  the  projecting 
point  of  bushes,  and  she  then  darted  along  the 
shore,  driven  by  the  greatest  efforts  of  which  the 
three  paddlers  were  capable.  Had  the  shore  been 
open  the  Indians  would  have  gained  upon  them,  but 
they  were  unable  to  force  their  way  through  the 
thick  bushes  at  anything  like  the  rate  at  which  the 
canoe  was  flying  over  the  water.  The  first  start 
was  upward  of  a  hundred  yards,  and  this  was  in- 
creased by  fifty  before  the  Indians,  arriving  at  the 
point,  opened  fire.  This  distance  is  beyond  any- 
thing like  an  accurate  range  with  Indian  guns. 
Several  bullets  struck  the  water  round  the  canoe. 

"  Now  steer  out,"  Peter  said  as  the  firing  sudden- 
ly ceased.  "  They're  making  a  detour  among  the 
bushes  and'll  come  down  ahead  of  us  ef  we  keep 
near  the  shore." 

Two  or  three  more  shots  were  fired,  but  without 
effect,  and  the  canoe  soon  left  the  shore  far  behind* 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  131 

"  Now,"  Peter  said,  "  I  think  we're  safe.  It's  not 
likely  they've  another  canoe  anywhere  near  on  this 
side,  as  most  of  'em  would  have  gone  with  the  ex- 
pedition. Ef  the  firing  has  been  heard  it  will  not 
attract  much  attention,  being  on  this  side,  and  I  see 
nothing  in  the  way  of  a  boat  out  in  the  lake.  Still, 
these  redskins'  eyes  can  see  'most  any  distance. 
Now,  chief,"  he  went  on  to  the  Indian  in  his  native 
language,  "the  young  un  and  I'll  lie  down  at  the 
bottom  of  the  boat;  do  you  paddle  quietly  and 
easily,  as  ef  you  were  fishing.  The  canoe  with  a 
single  Indian  in  it  will  excite  no  suspicion,  and  even 
ef  you  see  other  canoes,  you  had  better  keep  on  in 
that  way  unless  you  see  that  any  of  'em  are  intend- 
ing to  overhaul  you." 

The  chief  nodded  assent.  Peter  and  Harold 
stretched  themselves  at  full  length  in  the  canoe,  and 
the  Indian  paddled  quietly  and  steadily  on.  For  an 
hour  not  a  word  was  spoken  in  the  canoe.  Harold 
several  times  dozed  off  to  sleep.  At  last  the  Seneca 
spoke : 

"Many  boats  out  on  water — American  army." 

Harold  was  about  to  raise  his  head  to  look  out 
when  Peter  exclaimed. 

"Lie  close,  Harold.  Ef  a  head  were  shown  now 
it  would  be  wuss  than  ef  we  had  sat  up  all  the 
time.  "We  know  there  are  Injun  canoes  with  the 
flats,  and  they  may  be  watching  us  now.  We  may 
be  a  long  way  off,  but  there's  no  saying  how  far  a 
redskin's  eyes  can  carry.  Can  you  see  where  they 
are  going  to,  chief  ?"  he  asked  the  Seneca.  "  Are 


132  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

they   heading  for  Isle-aux-Noix,  as  we  heard  'em 
say  they  were  going  to  do  ?" 

The  Seneca  nodded. 

"  Going  to  island." 

"  Then,"  Peter  said,  "  the  sooner  we're  across  the 
lake  the  better." 

The  Seneca  again  spoke,  and  after  a  consultation 
with  Peter  laid  in  his  paddle. 

"  What  is  he  doing  now  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"  Our  course  lies  pretty  near  the  same  way  as 
theirs,"  Peter  said.  "-The  island  is  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  shore,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Sorrel, 
so  where  we're  going  would  take  us  right  across 
their  line.  "We  fooled  them  yesterday,  but  are  not 
likely  to  do  it  again  to-day.  So  the  chief  has 
stopped  paddling  and  makes  as  if  he  were  fishing.  I 
doubt  whether  it  will  succeed,  for  he  would  hardly 
be  fishing  so  far  out.  But  we'll  soon  see.  It's  bet- 
ter so  than  to  turn  and  paddle  in  any  other  direc- 
tion, as  that  would  be  sure  to  excite  their  sus- 
picions." 

The  fleet  of  boats  had  already  passed  the  spot 
where  the  canoe  would  have  crossed  had  she  been 
going  directly  across  the  lake  when  she  was  first 
seen,  and  was  therefore  now  ahead  of  it.  The  great 
flotilla  kept  on  as  if  the  canoe  with  its  single  oc- 
cupant in  its  rear  had  not  excited  suspicion.  The 
Seneca,  however,  knew  that  sharp  eyes  must  be 
upon  him.  The  manner  in  which  the  canoe  had 
baffled  pursuit  the  day  before  must  have  inflicted  a 
severe  blow  upon  the  pride  of  the  Indians,  and  aJ- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  133 

though,  having  driven  them  off  the  lake,  they  could 
have  no  reason  for  suspecting  that  their  foes  could 
have  obtained  a  fresh  canoe,  the  Seneca  knew  that 
their  vigilance  would  not  sleep  for  a  moment. 
Therefore,  although  bending  over  the  side  of  the 
canoe  as  if  watching  his  lines,  his  eyes  were  never 
off  the  boats. 

"There  are  canoes  making  for  the  shore  both 
ways,"  he  said  at  last.  "  It  is  time  that  my  white 
brother  should  take  the  paddle." 

Peter  and  Harold  at  once  sat  up  in  the  boat  and 
looked  round  the  lake,  which  at  this  point  was  about 
ten  miles  wide.  The  canoe  was  four  miles  from  the 
eastern  side ;  the  flotilla  was  a  mile  further  up  the 
lake  and  the  same  distance  nearer  to  the  western 
shore.  Four  or  five  canoes  were  detaching  them- 
selves from  the  flotilla,  apparently  rowing  direct  for 
the  shore.  It  would  have  been  easy  for  the  canoe  to 
have  regained  the  eastern  side  long  before  she  could 
have  been  cut  off,  but  here  they  might  find  the 
Chippewas.  The  Indians  whose  boat  they  had 
taken  would  assuredly  follow  along  the  shores  of 
the  lake  in  hopes  that  something  might  occur  to 
drive  them  back.  Besides,  had  they  landed  there 
they  would  be  unable  to  carry  in  time  the  news  of 
the  approaching  attack  upon  St.  John's.  For  the 
same  reason  it  was  important  to  land  up  the  lake 
near  the  Canadian  end. 

Peter  rapidly  took  in  the  situation.  He  saw  that 
it  was  possible,  and  only  just  possible,  to  reach 
the  shore  at  a  point  opposite  to  that  at  which  they 


134  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLA G. 

now  were  before  the  hostile  canoes  could  cut  them 
off  from  it.  If  they  headed  them  there  they  would 
be  obliged  to  run  down  to  the  other  end  of  the  lake 
before  effecting  a  landing,  while  he  could  not 
calculate  on  being  able  to  beat  all  the  canoes,  most 
of  which  carried  four  paddlers,  who  would  strain 
every  nerve  to  retrieve  their  failure  of  the  previous 
day. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  as  the  boat  darted  through 
the  water.  Harold,  unaccustomed  to  judge  dis- 
tances, could  form  no  idea  whether  the  distant 
canoes  would  or  would  not  intercept  them.  At 
present  both  seemed  to  him  to  be  running  toward 
the  shore  on  nearly  parallel  courses,  and  the  shorter 
distance  that  the  Indians  would  have  to  row  seemed 
to  place  them  far  ahead.  The  courses,  however, 
were  not  parallel,  as  the  Indians  were  gradually 
turning  their  canoes  to  intercept  the  course  of  that 
which  they  were  pursuing.  As  the  minutes  went 
by  and  the  boats  converged  more  and  more  toward 
the  same  point,  Harold  saw  how  close  the  race 
would  be.  After  twenty  minutes'  hard  paddling  the 
boats  were  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  each  other, 
and  the  courses  which  they  were  respectively  taking 
seemed  likely  to  bring  them  together  at  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore.  There  were 
three  Indian  canoes,  and  these  kept  well  together. 
So  close  did  the  race  appear  that  Harold  expected 
every  moment  to  see  Peter  sweep  the  head  of  the 
canoe  round  and  make  a  stern  chase  of  it  by  run- 
ning down  the  lake.  This  Peter  had  no  inten- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  135 

tion  of  doing.  The  canoes,  he  saw,  traveled  as  fast 
as  his  own  and  could  each  spare  a  man  to  fire 
occasionally,  while  he  and  his  companions  would  all 
be  obliged  to  continue  paddling.  Better  accustomed 
to  judge  distances  than  Harold,  he  was  sure,  at  the 
speed  at  which  they  were  going,  he  would  be  able 
to  pass  somewhat  ahead  of  his  foes. 

"  Kow  all  you  know,  Harold,"  he  said.  "  Now, 
chief,  send  her  along." 

Harold  had  been  rowing  to  the  utmost  of  his 
strength,  but  he  felt  by  the  way  the  canoe  quivered 
at  every  stroke  that  his  companions  were  only  now 
putting  out  their  extreme  strength.  The  boat  seemed 
to  fly  through  the  water,  and  he  began  to  think  for 
the  first  time  that  the  canoe  would  pass  ahead  of 
their  pursuers.  The  latter  were  clearly  also  con- 
scious of  the  fact,  for  they  now  turned  their  boats' 
heads  more  toward  the  shore,  so  that  the  spot 
where  the  lines  would  meet  would  be  close  to  the 
shore  itself.  The  canoes  were  now  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  each  other.  The  Indians  were 
nearer  to  the  shore,  but  the  oblique  line  that  they 
were  following  would  give  them  about  an  equal  dis- 
tance to  row  to  the  point  for  which  both  were 
making.  Harold  could  not  see  that  there  was  the 
slightest  difference  in  the  rate  at  which  they  were 
traveling.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the  four  canoes 
would  all  arrive  precisely  at  the  same  moment  at 
the  land,  which  was  now  some  five  or  six  hundred 
yards  distant. 

Another  two  minutes'   paddling,  and  when  the 


136  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

canoes  were  but  seventy  or  eighty  yaras  apart, 
Peter,  with  a  sweep  with  his  paddle,  turned  the 
boat's  head  nearly  half-round  and  made  obliquely 
for  the  shore,  so  throwing  his  pursuers  almost  astern 
of  him.  The  shore  was  but  three  hundred  yards 
distant;  they  were  but  fifty  ahead  of  their  pur- 
suers. The  latter  gave  a  loud  yell  at  seeing  the 
change  in  the  position  in  the  chase.  They  had,  of 
course,  foreseen  the  possibility  of  such  a  movement, 
but  had  been  powerless  to  prevent  it.  But  they 
were  prepared,  for  on  the  instant  one  man  in  each 
canoe  dropped  his  paddle  and,  standing  up,  fired. 
It  is  a  difficult  thing  to  take  aim  when  standing  in 
a  canoe  dancing  under  the  vigorous  strokes  of  three 
paddlers.  It  was  the  more  difficult  since  the  canoes 
were  at  the  moment  sweeping  round  to  follow  the 
movement  of  the  chase.  The  three  balls  whistled 
closely  round  the  canoe,  but  no  one  was  hit. 

The  loss  of  three  paddlers  for  even  so  short  a 
time  checked  the  pace  of  the  canoes.  The  Indians 
saw  that  they  could  not  hope  to  overtake  their  foes, 
whose  canoe  was  now  but  a  few  lengths  from  shore. 
They  dropped  their  paddles  and  each  man  seized  his 
rifle.  Another  moment,  and  the  nine  pieces  would 
have  poured  their  fire  into  the  canoe  about  fifty 
yards  ahead  of  them,  when  from  the  bushes  on  the 
shore  three  puffs  of  smoke  shot  out,  and  three  of 
the  Indians  fell,  one  of  them  upsetting  his  boat  in 
his  fall.  A  yell  of  surprise  and  dismay  broke  from 
them,  the  guns  were  thrown  down,  the  paddles 
grasped  again,  and  the  beads  of  the  canoes  turned 


TRVE  TO  TSE  OLD  FLAG.  137 

from  the  shore.  The  Indians  in  the  overturned 
boat  did  not  wait  to  right  it,  but  scrambled  into  the 
other  canoes,  and  both  were  soon  paddling  at  the 
top  of  their  speed  from  the  shore,  not  without 

•  further  damage,  for  the  guns  in  the   bushes  again 
spoke  out,  and  Peter  and  the  Seneca  added  their 
fire  the  instant  they  leaped  from  the  boat  to  shore, 
and  another  of  the  Indians  was  seen  to  fall.     Harold 
was  too  breathless  when  he  reached  the  bank  to  be 
able   to  fire.     He   raised  his  gun,  but  his   hands 
trembled  with  the  exertion  that  he  had  undergone, 
and  the  beating  of  his  heart  and  his  short  panting 
breath   rendered  it  impossible   for  him  to  take  a 
steady  aim.     A  minute  later  Jake  burst  his  way 
through  the  bushes. 

"  Ah !  Massa  Harold,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Bress 
de  Lord  dat  we  was  here.  What  a  fright  you  hab 
giben  me,  to  be  sure.  We  hab  been  watching  you 
for  a  long  time.  Ephraim  and  de  redskin  dey  say 
dey  saw  little  spot  far  out  on  lake,  behind  all  dose 
boats;  den  dey  say  other  boats  set  off  in  chase. 
For  a  long  time  Jake  see  nothing  about  dat,  but  at 
last  he  see  dem.  Den  we  hurry  along  de  shore,  so 

•  as  to  get  near  de  place  to  where  de  boats  row ; 
ebery   moment   me   tink   dat  dey   catch    you   up. 
Ephraira  say  no,  berry  close  thing,  but  he  tink  you 
come  along  first,  but  dat  we  must  shoot  when  dey 
come  close.     We  stand  watch  for  some  time,  den 
Ephraim  say  dat  you  no  able  to  get  to  dat  point. 
You  hab  to  turn  along  de  shore,  so  we  change  our 
place  and  run  along,  and  sure  'nough  de  boat's  head 


138  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

turns,  and  you  come  along  in  front  of  us.  Den  we 
all  shoot,  and  the  redskins  dey  tumble  over." 

"  Well,  Jake,  it  is  fortunate  indeed  that  you  were 
on  the  spot,  for  they  could  scarcely  have  missed  all 
of  us.  Besides,  even  if  we  had  got  to  shore  safely 
they  would  have  followed  us,  and  the  odds  against 
us  would  have  been  heavy." 

"  That  ar  war  a  close  shave,  Peter,"  Ephraim  said, 
"  an  all-fired  close  shave  I  call  it." 

"  It  war,  Ephraim,  and  no  mistake." 

"  Why  didn't  yer  head  down  along  the  lake  ?" 

"  Because  I  got  news  that  the  colonists  air  going 
to  attack  St.  John's  to-morrow,  and  I  want  to  get 
to  the  fort  in  time  to  put  'em  on  their  guard.  Be- 
sides, both  sides  of  the  lake  are  sure  to  be  full  of 
hostile  Injuns.  Those  canoes  paddled  as  fast  as  we 
did,  and  in  the  long  run  might  have  worn  us  out." 

"  Did  you  have  a  fight  on  the  lake  two  nights 
ago  ?  Me  and  the  redskin  thought  we  heard  firing." 

"  We  had  a  skirmish  with  'em,"  Peter  said  ;  "  a 
pretty  sharp  shave  it  war,  too,  but  we  managed  to  slip 
away  from  them.  Altogether  we've  had  some 
mighty  close  work,  I  can  tell  yer,  and  I  thought 
more  than  once  as  we  were  going  to  be  wiped  out." 

While  they  were  speaking  the  men  had  already 
started  at  a  steady  pace  through  the  woods,  away 
from  the  lake,  having  first  drawn  up  the  canoe  and 
carefully  concealed  it. 

It  was  late  at  night  when  they  reached  Fort  St. 
John.  A  message  was  at  once  dispatched  to  a  party 
of  the  Senecas  who  were  at  their  village,  about  six- 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  139 

teen  miles  away.  They  arrived  in  the  morning  and, 
together  with  a  portion  of  the  garrison,  moved  out 
and  took  their  place  in  the  wooded  and  marshy 
ground  between  the  fort  and  the  river.  Scouts  were 
sent  along  the  Sorrel,  and  these  returned  about  one 
o'clock,  saying  that  a  large  number  of  boats  were 
coming  down  the  lake  from  Isle-aux-Noix.  It  had 
been  determined  to  allow  the  colonists  to  land  with- 
out resistance,  as  the  commander  of  the  fort  felt  no 
doubt  of  his  ability,  with  the  assistance  of  his  In- 
dian allies,  to  repulse  their  attack.  Some  twelve 
hundred  men  were  landed,  and  these  at  once  began 
to  advance  toward  the  fort,  led  by  their  two  gen- 
erals, Schuyler  and  Montgomery.  Scarcely  had 
they  entered  the  swamp,  when  from  every  bush  a 
fire  was  opened  upon  them.  The  invaders  were 
staggered,  but  pushed  forward,  in  a  weak  and  un- 
decided way,  as  far  as  a  creek  which  intercepted 
their  path.  In  vain  General  Montgomery  endeav- 
ored to  encourage  them  to  advance.  They  wavered 
and  soon  began  to  fall  back,  and  in  an  hour  from 
the  time  of  their  landing  they  were  again  gathered 
on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Here  they  threw  up  a 
breastwork,  and  as  his  numbers  were  greatly  inferior 
the  British  officer  in  command  thought  it  unadvisa- 
ble  to  attack  them.  After  nightfall  the  colonists 
took  to  their  boats  and  returned  to  Isle-aux-Noix, 
their  loss  in  this  their  first  attempt  at  the  invasion 
of  Canada  being  nine  men. 

A  day  or  two  later  the  Indians  again  attempted 
to  induce  General  Carleton  so  permit  them  to  cross 


140  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  frontier  and  carry  the  war  into  the  American 
settlements,  and  upon  the  general's  renewed  refusal 
they  left  the  camp  in  anger  and  remained  from  that 
time  altogether  aloof  from  the  contest. 
;  St.  John's  was  now  left  with  only  its  own  small 
garrison.  Captain  Wilson  was  ordered  to  fall  back 
with  his  company  to  Montreal,  it  being  considered 
that  the  garrison  of  St.  John's  was  sufficient  to  de- 
fend that  place  for  a  considerable  time.  As  soon 
as  the  Indians  had  marched  away,  having  sent  word 
to  the  colonists  that  they  should  take  no  further 
part  in  the  fight,  Montgomery,  who  was  now  in 
command,  Schuyler  having  fallen  sick,  landed  the 
whole  of  the  force  and  invested  the  fort.  An 
American  officer,  Ethan  Allen,  had  been  sent  with 
a  party  to  try  to  raise  the  colonists  in  rebellion  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Chamblee.  He  had  with  him 
thirty  Americans  and  was  joined  by  eighty  Cana- 
dians. Dazzled  by  the  success  which  had  attended 
the  surprise  of  Ticonderoga,  he  thought  to  repeat 
the  stroke  by  the  conquest  of  Montreal.  He  crossed 
the  river  in  the  night  about  three  miles  below  the 
city.  Peter  and  some  other  scouts  who  had  been 
watching  his  movements  crossed  higher  up  and 
brought  the  news,  and  thirty-six  men  of  the  Twen- 
ty-sixth Regiment,  Captain  Wilson's  company,  and 
two  or  three  hundred  loyal  Canadians,  the  whole 
under  the  command  of  Major  Campbell,  attacked 
Ethan  Allen.  He  was  speedily  routed  and  with 
thirty-eight  of  his  men  taken  prisoners.  The  siege 
of  St.  John's  made  but  little  progress.  The  place 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  141 

was  well  provisioned,  and  the  Americans  encamped 
in  the  low,  swampy  ground  around  it  suffered  much 
from  ill  hedlth.  The  men  were  mutinous  and  inso- 
lent, the  officers  incapable  and  disobedient.  So  far 
the  invasion  of  Canada,  of  which  such  great  things 
had  been  hoped  by  the  Americans,  appeared  likely 
to  turn  out  a  complete  failure. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

QUEBEC. 

GENERAL  CARLETON,  seeing  that  Montgomery's 
whole  force  was  retained  idle  before  St.  John's,  be- 
gan to  hope  that  the  winter  would  come  to  his  as- 
sistance before  the  invaders  had  made  any  serious 
progress.  Unfortunately  he  had  not  reckoned  on 
the  utter  incapacity  of  the  officer  in  command  of 
Fort  Chamblee.  Major  Stopford,  of  the  Seventh 
Regiment,  had  a  hundred  and  sixty  men  and 
a  few  artillerymen,  and  the  fort  was  strong 
and  well  provided  with  provisions.  American 
spies  had  found  the  inhabitants  around  the  place 
favorable  to  the  Americans.  Major  Brown  was 
sent  down  by  Montgomery  with  a  small  detach- 
ment, and  being  joined  by  the  inhabitants  sat 
down  before  the  fort.  They  had  only  two  six- 
pounders  and  could  have  effected  nothing  had  the 
fort  been  commanded  by  a  man  of  braver}^  and 
resources.  Such  was  not  the  character  of  its  com- 
mander, who,  after  a  siege  of  only  a  day  and  a  half, 
surrendered  the  place  with  all  its  stores,  which  were 
of  inestimable  value  to  the  invaders,  who  were  upon 
the  edge  of  giving  up  the  siege  of  the  fort,  their 
ammunition  being  entirely  exhausted ;  but  the  six 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  143 

tons  of  gunpowder,  the  seventeen  cannon,  mortars, 
and  muskets  which  fell  into  their  hands  enabled 
them  to  carry  on  the  siege  of  St.  John's  with  re- 
newed vigor.  There  was  no  excuse  whatever  for 
the  conduct  of  Major  Stopford  in  allowing  these 
stores  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  as 
even  had  he  not  possessed  courage  to  defend  the 
fort  he  might,  before  surrendering,  have  thrown 
the  whole  of  the  ammunition  into  the  river,  upon 
which  there  was  a  safe  sally-port,  where  he  could 
have  carried  on  the  operation  entirely  unmolested 
by  the  enemy.  The  colors  of  the  Seventh  Regiment 
were  captured  and  sent  to  Congress  as  the  first 
trophy  of  the  war. 

The  siege  of  St.  John's  was  now  pushed  on  by 
Montgomery  with  vigor.  Colonel  Maclean,  with 
eight  hundred  Indians  and  Canadians,  attempted  to 
relieve  it,  crossing  the  St.  Lawrence  in  small  boats. 
On  nearing  the  other  bank  they  were  received  with 
so  heavy  a  fire  by  the  Americans  posted  there  that 
they  were  obliged  to  retire  without  effecting  a 
landing.  Provisions  and  ammunition  were  now 
running  short  in  St.  John's,  there  was  no  hope 
whatever  of  relief  from  the  outside,  and  the  officer 
commanding  was  therefore  obliged  to  surrender  on 
November  14  after  a  gallant  defense. 

As  there  were  only  some  fifty  or  sixty  regulars 
in  Montreal  General  Carleton  was  unable  to  defend 
that  town,  and  upon  the  news  of  the  fall  of  St. 
John's  he  at  once  retired  to  Quebec  and  Montreal 
was  occupied  by  the  Americans.  In  the  mean  time 


144  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

another  expedition  had  been  dispatched  by  the 
Americans  under  Arnold.  This  officer,  with  fifteen 
hundred  men,  had  started  for  Quebec  from  a  point 
one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  north  of  Boston.  Suf- 
fering enormous  fatigue  and  hardship,  the  force 
made  its  way  up  the  river ;  past  rapids,  cataracts, 
and  through  swamps  they  dragged  and  carried  their 
boats  and  stores.  They  followed  the  bed  of  the 
river  up  to  its  source,  and  then  crossing  the  water- 
shed descended  the  Chaudigre  and  Duloup  rivers  on 
to  the  St.  Lawrence  within  a  few  miles  of  Quebec. 

This  was  a  wonderful  march — one  scarcely 
equaled  in  the  annals  of  military  history.  Cross- 
ing the  St.  Lawrence  in  canoes.  Arnold  encamped 
with  his  little  force  upon  the  heights  of  Abraham. 
Such  a  daring  attempt  could  not  have  been  under- 
taken had  not  the  Americans  been  aware  of  the  ex- 
treme weakness  of  the  garrison  at  Quebec,  which 
consisted  only  of  fifty  men  of  the  Seventh  Kegi- 
ment,  two  hundred  and  forty  of  the  Canadian 
militia,  a  battalion  of  seamen  from  the  ships-of-war 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Hamilton,  of  the 
Lizard,  two  hundred  and  fifty  strong,  and  the  co- 
lonial volunteers  under  Colonel  Maclean. 

The  fortifications  were  in  a  ruinous  condition.  It 
was  fortunate  that  Colonel  Maclean,  who  had  come 
from  the  Sorrel  upon  the  surrender  of  St.  John's  by 
forced  marches,  arrived  on  the  very  day  on  which 
Arnold  appeared  before  the  city.  Directly  he  ar- 
rived Arnold  attacked  the  city  at  the  gate  of  St. 
Louis,  but  was  sharply  repulsed.  He  then  desisted 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  U5 

« 

from  active  operations  and  awaited  the  arrival  of 
Montgomery,  who  was  marching  down  from  Mont- 
real. The  flotilla  in  which  Carleton  was  descend- 
ing the  river  was  attacked  by  the  Americans,  who 
came  down  the  Sorrel,  and  was  captured,  with  all 
the  troops  and  military  stores  which  it  was  bring- 
ing down.  General  Carleton  himself  escaped  in  a 
small  boat  under  cover  of  night  and  reached  Quebec. 

Captain  Wilson's  company  had  been  attached  to 
the  command  of  Colonel  Maclean  and  with  it  ar- 
rived in  Quebec  in  safety. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Montgomery  with  his  army 
the  city  was  summoned  to  surrender.  A  strong 
party  in  the  town  were  favorable  to  the  invaders, 
but  General  Carleton  treated  the  summons  with 
contempt  and  turned  all  the  inhabitants  who  refused 
to  join  in  the  defense  of  the  city  outside  the  town. 

The  winter  had  now  set  in  in  earnest  and  the  dif- 
ficulties of  the  besiegers  were  great.  Arnold's  force 
had  been  much  weakened  by  the  hardships  that  they 
had  undergone,  Montgomery's  by  desertions;  the 
batteries  which  they  erected  were  overpowered  by 
the  fire  of  the  defenders,  and  the  siege  made  no 
progress  whatever.  The  men  became  more  and 
more  disaffected  and  mutinous.  Many  of  them  had 
nearly  served  the  time  for  which  they  had  enlisted, 
and  Montgomery  feared  that  they  would  leave  him 
when  their  engagement  came  to  an  end.  He  in 
vain  tempted  the  besieged  to  make  a  sally.  Carle- 
ton  was  so  certain  that  success  would  come  by  wait- 
ing that  he  refused  to  allow  himself  to  hazard  it  by 
a  sortie. 


146  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

The  weather  was  fighting  for  him,  and  the  be- 
siegers had  before  them  only  the  alternatives  of 
taking  the  place  by  storm  or  of  abandoning  the 
siege  altogether.  They  resolved  upon  a  storm.  It 
was  to  take  place  at  daybreak  on  December  31. 
Montgomery  determined  to  make  four  attacks — 
two  false  and  two  real  ones.  Colonel  Jamea 
Livingstone  with  two  hundred  Canadians  was  to 
appear  before  St.  John's  gate,  and  a  party  under 
Colonel  Brown  were  to  feign  a  movement  against 
the  upper  town,  and  from  high  ground  there  were 
to  send  up  rockets  as  the  signal  for  the  real  attacks 
to  commence — that  led  by  Montgomery  from  the 
south  and  that  under  Arnold  from  the  northwest — 
both  against  the  lower  town. 

The  false  attacks  were  made  too  soon,  the  rockets 
being  fired  half  an  hour  before  the  main  columns 
reached  their  place  of  attack.  The  British  were  not 
deceived,  but  judging  these  attacks  to  be  feints,  left 
but  a  small  party  to  oppose  them  and  marched  the 
bulk  of  their  forces  down  toward  the  lower  town. 
Their  assistance,  however,  came  too  late,  for  before 
they  arrived  the  fate  of  the  attack  was  already  de- 
cided. The  Americans  advanced  under  circum- 
stances of  great  difficulty.  A  furious  wind  with 
cutting  hail  blew  in  their  faces ;  the  ground  was 
slippery  and  covered  with  snow. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  English  supports  arrived 
on  the  spot  Montgomery,  with  his  leading  company, 
reached  the  first  barricade,  which  was  undefended ; 
passing  through  this  they  pressed  on  tovrard  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  U7 

next.  The  road  leading  to  it  was  only  wide  enough 
for  five  or  six  persons  abreast.  On  one  side  was  the 
river,  on  the  other  a  steep  cliff ;  in  front  was  a 
log  hut  with  loop-holes  for  musketry  and  a  battery 
of  two  three-pounders.  It  was  held  by  a  party  of 
thirty  Canadians  and  eight  militiamen  under  John 
Coffin,  with  nine  sailors  under  Bairnsfeather,  the 
captain  of  a  transport,  to  work  the  guns.  Montgom- 
ery with  sixty  men  pushed  on  at  a  run  to  carry 
the  battery,  but  when  within  fifty  yards  Bairns- 
feather  discharged  his  pieces,  which  were  loaded 
with  grape-shot,  with  deadly  aim.  Montgomery, 
his  aid-de-camp  Macpherson,  Lieutenant  Cheeseman, 
and  ten  others  fell  dead  at  the  first  discharge,  and 
with  them  the  soul  of  the  expedition  fled.  The 
remaining  officers  endeavored  to  get  the  men  to 
advance,  but  none  would  do  so,  and  they  fell  back 
without  losing  another  man.  So  completely  cowed 
were  they  that  they  would  not  even  carry  off  the 
bodies  of  their  general  and  his  companions.  These 
were  brought  into  Quebec  next  day  and  buried  with 
the  honors  of  war  by  the  garrison. 

The  force  under  Arnold  was  far  stronger  than 
that  under  Montgomery.  The  Canadian  guard  ap- 
pointed to  defend  the  first  barrier  fled  at  the 
approach,  but  the  small  body  of  sailors  fought 
bravely  and  were  all  killed  or  wounded.  Arnold 
was  shot  through  the  leg  and  disabled.  Morgan, 
who  commanded  the  advanced  companies,  led  his 
men  on  and  carried  the  second  barrier  after  an  ob- 
stinate resistance.  They  were  attacking  the  third 


148  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

when  Maclean  with  his  men  from  the  upper  town 
arrived.  The  British  then  took  the  offensive  and 
drove  the  enemy  back,  and  a  party  going  round  fell 
upon  their  rear.  Fifty  were  killed  in  Arnold's 
column,  four  hundred  taken  prisoners,  and  the  rest 
retreated  in  extreme  disorder. 

Thus  ended  the  assault  upon  Quebec — an  assault 
Avhich  was  all  but  hopeless  from  the  first,  but  in 
which  the  Americans  showed  but  little  valor  and 
determination.  In  fact,  throughout  the  war  it  may 
be  said  that  the  Americans,  when  fighting  on  the 
defensive  behind  trees  and  intrenchments,  fought 
stubbornly  ;  but  that  they  were  feeble  in  attack  and 
wholly  incapable  of  standing  against  British  troops 
in  the  open. 

It  would  now  have  been  easy  for  Carleton  to  have 
sallied  out  and  taken  the  offensive,  but  he  preferred 
holding  Quebec  quietly.  He  might  have  easily 
driven  the  Americans  from  their  position  before  the 
walls,  but  with  the  handful  of  troops  under  his 
orders  he  could  have  done  nothing  toward  carrying 
on  a  serious  campaign  in  the  open. 

Until  spring  came  and  the  rivers  were  opened  no 
reinforcements  could  reach  him  from  England, 
while  the  Americans  could  send  any  number  of 
troops  into  Canada.  Carleton  therefore  preferred 
to  wait  quietly  within  the  walls  of  Quebec,  allow- 
ing, the  winter,  hardships,  and  disunion  to  work 
their  natural  effects  upon  the  invaders. 

Arnold  sent  to  Washington  to  demand  ten  thou- 
sand more  troops/  with  siege  artillery.  Several 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  149 

regiments  were  sent  forward,  but  artillery  could  not 
be  spared.  Eight  regiments  entered  Canada,  but 
they  found  that  instead  of  meeting,  as  they  had  ex- 
pected, an  enthusiastic  reception  from  the  inhabit- 
ants, the  population  were  now  hostile  to  them.  The 
exactions  of  the  invading  army  had  been  great,  and 
the  feeling  in  favor  of  the  English  was  now  all  but 
universal. 

On  May  5  two  frigates  and  a  sloop-of-war  made 
their  way  up  the  river  to  Quebec.  The  Americans 
endeavored  to  embark  their  sick  and  artillery  above 
the  town.  Keenforced  by  the  marines,  the  garrison 
sallied  out  and  attacked  the  enemy,  who  fled  with 
precipitation,  leaving  their  provisions,  cannon,  five 
hundred  muskets,  and  two  hundred  sick  behind 
them.  The  British  pursued  them  until  they  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  Sorrel. 

The  arrival  of  the  fleet  from  England  brought 
news  of  what  had  taken  place  since  Captain  Wil- 
son's company  had  marched  from  Boston,  a  short 
time  after  the  battle  of  Bunker's  Hill.  Immediately 
after  the  battle  the  colonists  had  sent  two  deputies, 
Penn  and  Lee,  with  a  petition  to  Parliament  for  the 
restoration  of  peace.  This  petition  was  supported 
by  a  strong  body  in  Parliament.  The  majority, 
however,  argued  that  from  the  conduct  of  the  Amer- 
icans it  was  clear  that  they  aimed  at  unconditional, 
unqualified,  and  total  independence.  In  all  their 
proceedings  they  had  behaved  as  if  entirely  separated 
from  Great  Britain.  Their  professions  and  petition 
breathed  peace  and  moderation ;  their  actions  and 


150  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

preparations  denoted  war  and  defiance ;  every  at- 
tempt that  could  be  made  to  soften  their  Hostility 
had  been  in  vain ;  their  obstinacy  was  inflexible ; 
and  the  more  England  had  given  in  to  their  wishes, 
the  more  insolent  and  overbearing  had  their  de- 
mands become.  The  stamp-tax  had  been  repealed, 
but  their  ill-will  had  grown  rather  than  abated. 
The  taxations  on  imports  had  been  entirely  taken, 
off  save  on  one  small  item,  but  rather  than  pay  this 
they  had  accumulated  arms  and  ammunition,  seized 
cannon  belonging  to  the  king,  and  everywhere  pre- 
pared for  armed  resistance.  Only  two  alternatives 
remained  for  the  British  nation  to  adopt — either  to 
coerce  the  colonists  to  submission  or  to  grant  them 
their  entire  independence. 

These  arguments  were  well  founded.  The  con- 
cessions which  had  been  made  had  but  encouraged 
the  colonists  to  demand  more.  No  good  whatever 
would  have  come  from  entering  into  negotiation ; 
there  remained  but  the  two  alternatives.  It  would 
have  been  far  better  had  Parliament,  instead  of  de- 
ciding on  coercion,  withdrawn  altogether  from  the 
colonies,  for  although  hitherto  the  Americans  had 
shown  no  great  fighting  qualities,  it  was  clear  that 
so  small  an  array  as  England  could  spare  could  not 
permanently  keep  down  so  vast  a  country  if  the 
people  were  determined  upon  independence.  They 
might  win  every  battle — might  overpower  every 
considerable  force  gathered  against  them,  but  they 
could  only  enforce  the  king's  authority  over  a  mere 
fractional  portion  of  so  great  an  area.  England, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  151 

however,  was  unaccustomed  to  defeat ;  her  spirit  ih 
those  days  was  proud  and  high  ;  and  by  a  large 
majority  Parliament  voted  for  the  continuance  of 
the  war.  The  next  step  taken  was  one  unworthy 
of  the  country.  It  tended  still  further  to  imbitter 
the  war  and  it  added  to  the  strength  of  the  party  in 
favor  of  the  colonists  at  home.  Attempts  were 
made  by  the  government  to  obtain  the  services  of 
large  numbers  of  foreign  troops.  Negotiations  were 
entered  into  with  Russia,  Holland,  Hesse,  and  other 
countries.  Most  of  these  proved  ineffectual,  but  a 
considerable  number  of  troops  were  obtained  from 
Hesse. 

The  news  of  these  proceedings  excited  the  Amer- 
icans to  renewed  efforts.  The  force  under  Wash- 
ington was  strengthened  and  he  took  possession  of 
Dorchester  Heights,  commanding  the  town  of  Bos- 
ton. A  heavy  cannonade  was  opened  on  the  city. 
The  British  guns  answered  it,  but  the  American 
position  gave  them  an  immense  advantage.  Gen- 
eral Howe,  who  was  in  command,  at  first  thought 
of  attempting  to  storm  the  heights,  but  the  tremen- 
dous loss  sustained  at  the  battle  of  Bunker's  Hill 
deterred  him  from  the  undertaking.  His  supineness 
during  the  past  four  months  had  virtually  lost  the 
American  colonies  to  England.  He  had  under  his 
command  eight  thousand  troops,  who  could  have 
routed  with  ease  the  undisciplined  levies  of  Wash- 
ington. Instead  of  leading  his  men  out  against  the 
enemy  he  had  suffered  them  to  be  cooped  up  for 
months  in  the  city,  and  had  failed  to  take  possession 


!52  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

of  the  various  heights  commanding  the  town.  Had 
he  done  this  Boston  might  have  resisted  a  force 
many  times  as  strong  as  that  which  advanced  against 
it,  and  there  was  now  nothing  left  for  the  English 
but  to  storm  the  heights  with  enormous  loss  or  to 
evacuate  the  city. 

The  first  was  the  alternative  which  had  been 
chosen  when  the  Americans  seized  Bunker's  Hill ; 
the  second  was  that  which  was  now  adopted. 

Having  adopted  this  resolution,  Howe  carried  it 
out  in  a  manner  which  would  in  itself  be  sufficient 
to  condemn  him  as  a  military  leader.  Nothing  was 
done  to  destroy  the  vast  stores  of  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion, and  two  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  cannon 
were  left  for  the  colonists  to  use  against  England. 
No  steps  were  taken  to  warn  ships  arriving  from 
England  of  the  surrender  of  the  town.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  in  addition  to  the  vast  amount  of 
stores  captured  in  the  town,  numbers  of  the  British 
store-ships  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans — 
among  them  a  vessel  which,  in  addition  to  carbines, 
bayonets,  gun-carriages,  and  other  stores,  had  on 
board  more  than  seventy  tons  of  powder,  while 
Washington's  whole  stock  was  all  but  exhausted. 

But  worse  even  than  this  hurried  and  unnecessary 
abandonment  of  vast  munitions  of  war  was  the  deser- 
tion of  the  loyalist  population.  Boston  was  full  of 
loyalists,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  wealthier 
and  better-born  persons  in  the  colony,  who  from  the 
commencement  of  the  troubles  had  left  their  homes, 
their  fortunes,  and  their  families  to  rally  round  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  153 

standard  of  their  sovereign.  The  very  least  that 
Howe  could  have  done  for  these  loyal  men  would 
have  been  to  have  entered  into  some  terms  of  ca- 
pitulation with  Washington,  whereby  they  might 
have  been  permitted  to  depart  to  their  homes  and 
to  the  enjoyment  of  their  property.  Nothing  of 
the  sort  was  attempted,  and  the  only  choice  offered 
to  a  loyalist  was  to  remain  in  the  town,  exposed  to 
certain  insult  and  ill-treatment,  perhaps  to  death,  at 
the  hands  of  the  rebels,  or  to  leave  in  the  transports 
for  England  or  Halifax  and  to  be  landed  here  penni- 
less and  starving. 

Howe's  conduct  in  this  was  on  a  piece  with  his 
behavior  throughout  the  campaign ;  but  he  was 
little  if  at  all  inferior  to  the  other  generals,  who 
vied  with  each  other  in  incapacity  and  folly.  Never 
in  the  whole  history  of  England  were  her  troops 
led  by  men  so  inefficient,  so  sluggish,  and  so  inca- 
pable as  those  who  commanded  her  armies  in  the 
American  Revolutionary  War. 

The  first  ships  from  England  which  arrived  at 
Quebec  were  followed  a  few  days  later  by  the 
Niger  and  Triton,  convoy  transports,  with  troops. 
The  British  now  took  the  offensive  in  earnest. 
From  the  west  Captain  Forster  marched  from 
Detroit  with  forty  men  of  the  Eighth  Regiment, 
a  hundred  Canadians  and  some  Indians,  against  a 
pass  called  the  Cedars,  situated  fifteen  leagues  above 
Montreal.  This  was  held  by  four  hundred  men 
with  two  cannon.  As  soon  as  the  British  force 
opened  fire  the  Americans  surrendered.  The  fol- 


154  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

lowing  day  Forster's  force,  advancing,  came  upon  a 
hundred  and  forty  men  under  Major  Sherbourne, 
who  were  marching  to  reenforce  the  garrison  at  the 
Cedars.  These  were  forced  to  retreat  and  a  hundred 
of  them  taken  prisoners. 

Arnold,  with  seven  hundred  men,  advanced 
against  the  British  force.  The  British  officer, 
fearing  that  in  case  of  an  attack  the  Indians  with 
him  might  massacre  the  prisoners,  released  the  whole 
of  them,  four  hundred  and  seventy-four  in  number, 
under  the  promise  that  an  equal  number  of  British 
prisoners  should  be  returned.  This  engagement 
was  shamefully  broken  by  the  Americans,  who 
raised  a  number  of  frivolous  excuses,  among  others 
that  prisoners  taken  by  the  British  were  ill-treated 
— an  accusation  which  excited  the  indignation  of 
the  prisoners  themselves,  some  of  whom  wrote  to 
members  of  Congress  stating  that  nothing  could  be 
kinder  or  more  courteous  than  the  treatment  which 
they  received. 

While  Forster  was  advancing  toward  Montreal 
from  the  west,  Carleton  was  moving  up  against  the 
Americans  at  Sorrel  from  Quebec.  At  the  death 
of  Montgomery  Wooster  had  taken  the  command 
of  the  main  American  force.  He  had  been  suc- 
ceeded by  Thompson,  but  the  latter  dying  of  small- 
pox, Sullivan  took  his  place.  The  new  commander 
determined  to  take  the  offensive  against  the  English, 
and  dispatched  a  force  of  about  two  thousand  men 
to  attack  General  Fraser,  who  held  a  post  at  a  place 
called  Three  Rivers. 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  155 

A  Canadian  peasant  brought  news  to  General 
Fraser  of  the  approach  of  the  Americans,  and  as  he 
had  received  reinforcements  from  below  he  de- 
termined to  anticipate  their  attack.  His  move- 
ments were  completely  successful.  Some  of  the 
Americans  fought  well,  but  the  rest  dispersed  with 
but  little  resistance.  Two  hundred  were  killed  and 
a  hundred  and  fifty  taken  prisoners.  The  rest  suc- 
ceeded in  returning  to  Sorrel. 

The  main  body  of  the  British  army  now  came  up 
the  river  in  their  ships,  and  as  they  approached 
Sorrel  Sullivan  broke  up  his  camp  and  retreated. 
At  the  same  time  Arnold,  who  commanded  at 
Montreal,  evacuated  the  town  and  joined  Sullivan's 
army  at  St.  John's. 

Had  the  English  pushed  forward  with  any  energy 
the  whole  of  the  American  army  of  invasion  would 
have  fallen  into  their  hands.  They  were  complete- 
ly broken  in  spirits,  suffering  terribly  from  sickness, 
and  were  wholly  incapable  of  making  any  defense. 
Burgoyne,  who  commanded  the  advance  of  the 
English  army,  moved  forward  very  slowly,  and  the 
Americans  were  enabled  to  take  to  their  boats  and 
cross,  first  to  Isle-aux-Koix  and  then  to  Crown 
Point.  An  American  historian  who  saw  them  after 
they  landed  says :  "  At  the  sight  of  so  much  priva- 
tion and  distress  I  wept  until  I  had  no  more  power 
to  weep.  I  did  not  look  into  a  tent  or  hut  in  which 
I  did  not  find  either  a  dead  or  dying  man.  Of 
about  five  thousand  men  full  half  were  invalids. 
In  little  more  than  two  months  they  had  lost  by 
desertion  and  death  more  than  five  thousand  men." 


156  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Captain  Wilson  and  his  company  were  not  present 
with  the  advance  of  the  British  troops.  General 
Howe,  after  evacuating  Boston,  had  sailed  with  his 
array  to  Halifax,  there  to  wait  until  a  large  body 
of  reinforcements  should  be  sent  in  the  spring  from 
England.  General  Carleton  had  in  his  dispatches 
mentioned  favorably  the  services  which  the  little 
company  of  loyalists  from  Boston  had  performed, 
and  Lord  Howe  wrote  requesting  that  the  company 
should  be  sent  down  by  ship  to  Halifax,  as*he  was 
about  to  sail  from  New  York  to  undertake  opera- 
tions on  a  large  scale,  and  should  be  glad  to  have 
with  him  a  body  of  men  accustomed  to  scouting  and 
acquainted  with  the  country.  Accordingly  the 
company  was  embarked  in  a  transport  and  reached 
Halifax  early  in  June.  On  the  llth  they  sailed  with 
the  army  and  arrived  at  Sandy  Hook  on  the  29th. 
On  July  3  the  army  landed  on  Staten  Island,  op- 
posite Long  Island,  and  soon  afterward  Lord 
Howe,  brother  of  General  Howe,  arrived  with  the 
main  army  from  England,  raising  the  total  force  to 
nearly  thirty  thousand  men.  It  consisted  of  two 
battalions  of  light  infantry,  two  of  grenadiers,  the 
Fourth,  Fifth,  Tenth,  Seventeenth,  Twenty-second, 
Twenty-third,  Twenty-seventh,  Thirty-fifth,  Thirty- 
eighth,  Fortieth,  Forty-second,  Forty-third,  Forty- 
fourth,  Forty-fifth,  Forty-ninth,  Fifty-second,  Fifty- 
fifth,  Sixty-third,  and  Sixty-fourth  Kegiments  of 
foot,  part  of  the  Forty-sixth  and  Seventy-first  Regi- 
ments, and  the  Seventeenth  Regiment  of  light 
dragoons.  There  were  besides  two  battalions  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  15? 

volunteers  from  New  York,  each  a  thousand  strong. 
Had  this  force  arrived,  as  it  should  have  done,  three 
months  earlier,  they  might  have  achieved  great 
things ;  but  the  delay  had  enabled  the  Americans  to 
make  extensive  preparations  to  meet  the  coming 
storm. 

Lord  Howe  brought  with  him  a  communication 
from  Parliament,  giving  him  and  his  brother  full 
power  to  treat  with  the  Americans  on  any  terms 
which  they  might  think  fit.  Upon  his  arrival  Lord 
Howe  addressed  a  letter  to  Dr.  Franklin,  informing 
him  of  the  nature  of  his  communication,  expressing 
hopes  that  he  would  find  in  America  the  same  dis- 
position for  peace  that  he  brought  with  him,  and 
requesting  his  aid  to  accomplish  the  desired  end. 
Dr.  Franklin,  in  answer,  informed  Lord  Howe  that 
"  prior  to  the  consideration  of  any  proposition  for 
friendship  or  peace,  it  would  be  required  that  Great 
Britain  should  acknowledge  the  independence  of 
America,  should  defray  the  expense  of  the  war, 
and  indemnify  the  colonists  for  all  damages  com- 
mitted." 

After  such  a  reply  as  this  Lord  Howe  had  no 
alternative  but  to  commence  hostilities,  which  he 
did  by  landing  the  army  in  Gravesend  Bay,  Long 
Island.  The  enemy  offered  no  opposition  to  the 
landing,  but  retreated  at  once,  setting  fire  to  all  the 
houses,  and  granaries  and  taking  up  a  position  on 
the  wooded  heights  which  commanded  the  line  by 
which  the  English  must  advance. 

The    American    main    force,    fifteen    thousand 


158  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

strong,  were  posted  on  a  peninsula  between  Mill 
Creek  and  Wallabout  Bay,  and  had  constructed  a 
strong  line  of  intrenchments  across  the  end  of  the 
peninsula.  The  intrenchments  were  strengthened 
by  abattis  and  flanked  with  strong  redoubts.  Five 
thousand  remained  to  guard  this  post,  and  ten  thou- 
sand, under  General  Puttenham,  advanced  to  hold 
the  line  of  wooded  hills  which  run  across  the 
island. 

In  the  center  of  the  plain,  at  the  foot  of  these 
hills,  stood  the  village  of  Flatbush. 

The  Hessian  division  of  the  JBritish  army,  under 
General  De  Heister,  advanced  against  this,  while 
General  Clinton,  with  the  right  wing  of  the  Eng- 
lish army,  moved  forward  to  attack  the  enemy's 
left. 

This  force  marched  at  nine  o'clock  at  night  on 
August  26  ;  General  Sir  William  Howe  himself  ac- 
companied it.  The  line  of  hills  trended  away 
greatly  to  the  left,  and  the  enemy  had  neglected  to 
secure  the  passes  over  the  hills  on  this  flank  ;  con- 
sequently at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Brit- 
ish passed  the  range  of  hills  without  resistance  and 
occupied  Beford  in  its  rear.  Had  Sir  William 
Howe  now  pushed  on  vigorously  the  whole  of 
Puttenham's  force  nrast  have  been  captured. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Hessians  from  Flatbush  at- 
tacked the  center  of  the  Americans,  and  after  a 
warm  engagement  routed  them  and  drove  them  in- 
to the  woods  with  a  loss  of  three  pieces  of  cannon. 

On  the  British  left  General  Grant  also  advanced. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


159 


and  at  midnight  carried  a  strong  pass  on  the 
enemy's  left.  Retiring,  they  held  a  still  stronger 
position  further  back  and  offered  a  fierce  resistance 


i British 

Americans 


Buc 


Sketch  of 
THE  BRITISH   POSITION 

on 
LONG   ISLAND. 


EhglishMOes 
H 


100  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

until  the  fires  at  Bedford  showed  that  the  English 
had  obtained  a  position  almost  in  their  rear,  when 
they  retreated  precipitately. 

The  victory  was  a  complete  one,  but  it  had  none 
of  the  consequences  which  would  have  attended  it 
had  the  English  pushed  forward  with  energy  after 
turning  the  American  left.  Six  pieces  of  cannon 
were  captured  and  two  thousand  men  killed  or 
taken  prisoners.  The  English  lost  seventy  killed 
and  two  hundred  and  thirty  wounded. 

So  impetuously  did  the  English  attack  that  even 
Sir  William  Howe  admitted  that  they  could  have 
carried  the  intrenchments.  He  alleges  he  did  not 
permit  them  to  do  so,  because  he  intended  to  take 
the  position  by  regular  approaches  and  wished 
therefore  to  avoid  the  loss  of  life  which  an  immedi- 
ate assault  would  have  occasioned.  On  the  27th 
and  28th  regular  approaches  were  commenced,  but 
on  the  29th,  under  cover  of  a  fog,  the  Americans 
embarked  in  boats  and  succeeded  in  carrying  the 
whole  of  their  force,  without  the  loss  of  a  man, 
across  to  the  mainland. 

The  escape  of  this  body  of  men  was  disgraceful 
in  the  extreme  to  the  English  commanders.  They 
had  a  great  fleet  at  their  disposal,  and  had  they 
placed  a  couple  of  frigates  in  the  East  Eiver,  be- 
tween Long  Island  and  New  York,  the  escape  would 
have  been  impossible,  and  General  Washington  and 
his  army  of  fifteen  thousand  men  must  have  been 
taken  prisoners.  Whether  this  misfortune  would 
have  proved  conclusive  of  the  war  it  is  now  too  late 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  161 

to  speculate ;  but  so  splendid  an  opportunity  was 
never  before  let  slip  by  an  English  general,  and  the 
negligence  was  the  more  inexcusable  inasmuch  as 
the  fleet  of  boats  could  be  seen  lying  alongside  of 
the  American  position.  Their  purpose  must  have 
been  known,  and  they  could  at  any  moment  have 
been  destroyed  by  the  guns  of  a  ship-of-war  taking 
up  its  position  outside  them. 

Lord  Howe  dispatched  the  American  General 
Sullivan,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner  on  Long 
Island,  to  Congress,  repeating  his  desire  to  treat. 
A  committee  of  three  members  accordingly  waited 
on  Lord  Howe,  who  informed  them  that  it  was  the 
most  ardent  wish  of  the  king  and  government  of 
Great  Britain  to  put  an  end  to  the  dissatisfaction 
between  the  mother  country  and  the  colonists.  To 
accomplish  this  desire  every  act  of  Parliament 
which  was  considered  obnoxious  to  the  colonists 
should  undergo  a  revisal  and  every  just  cause  of 
complaint  should  be  removed  if  the  colonists  would 
declare  their  willingness  to  submit  to  the  authority 
of  the  British  government.  The  committee  replied 
that  it  was  not  America  which  had  separated  herself 
from  Great  Britain,  but  Great  Britain  had  separa- 
ted herself  from  America.  The  latter  had  never 
declared  herself  independent  until  the  former  had 
made  war  upon  her,  and  that  even  if  Congress  were 
willing  to  place  America  in  her  former  situation,  it 
could  not  do  so,  as  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
had  been  made  in  consequence  of  the  congregated 
voice  of  the  whole  people,  by  whom  alone  it  could 


162  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

be  abolished.  The  country  was  determined  not  to 
return  under  the  domination  of  England. 

The  negotiations  were  therefore  broken  off.  Lord 
Howe  published  a  declaration  to  the  people  of 
America  giving  the  answer  of  the  committee  to  his 
offer  of  reconciliation.  He  acquainted  them  with 
the  fact  that  the  parent  country  was  willing  to 
receive  into  its  bosom  and  protection  all  who  might 
be  willing  to  return  to  their  former  obedience.  In 
taking  this  step,  Lord  Howe  was  convinced  that  a 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  America  were  still 
willing  to  enter  into  an  accommodation  of  the  dif- 
ferences between  the  two  powers,  and  the  con- 
viction was  not  ill  founded.  The  declaration,  how- 
ever, produced  but  little  effect,  for  the  dominant 
section,  that  resolved  to  break  off  all  connection 
with  England,  had  acquired  the  sole  management 
of  affairs,  and  no  offers  which  could  possibly  have 
been  made  would  have  been  accepted  by  them. 

Convinced  that  all  further  negotiations  would  be 
ineffectual,  Lord  Howe  prepared  to  carry  his  army 
across  from  Long  Island  to  New  York,  where  the 
American  army  had  taken  up  their  post  after  the 
retreat  from  Long  Island.  The  armies  were  sepa- 
rated by  the  East  River,  with  a  breadth  of  about 
thirteen  hundred  yards.  A  cannonade  was  kept  up 
for  several  days.  On  September  13  some  ships-of- 
war  were  brought  up  to  cover  the  passage.  Wash- 
ington, seeing  the  preparations,  began  to  evacuate 
the  city  and  to  abandon  the  strong  intrenchments 
which  he  had  thrown  up.  At  eleven  o'clock  on  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  163 

morning  of  the  15th  the  men-of-war  opened  a  heavy 
fire,  and  Clinton's  division,  consisting  of  four 
thousand  men  in  eighty-four  boats,  sailed  uj>  the 
river,  landed  on  Manhattan  Island  at  a  place  called 
Kipp's  Bay  and  occupied  the  heights  of  Inclenberg, 
the  enemy  abandoning  their  intrenchments  at  their 
approach.  General  Washington  rode  toward  Kipp's 
Bay  to  take  the  command  of  the  troops  stationed 
there,  but  found  the  men  who  had  been  posted  at 
the  lines  running  away,  and  the  brigades  who  should 
have  supported  them  flying  in  every  direction, 
heedless  of  the  exertions  of  their  generals. 

Puttenham's  division  of  four  thousand  men  was 
still  in  the  lower  city  and  would  be  cut  off  unless 
the  British  advance  should  be  checked.  Washing- 
ton therefore  made  the  greatest  efforts  to  rally  the 
fugitives  and  to  get  them  to  make  a  stand  to 
check  the  advancing  enemy,  but  in  vain,  for  as  soon 
as  even  small  bodies  of  red-coats  were  seen  advanc- 
ing they  broke  and  fled  in  panic. 

Howe  as  usual  delayed  giving  orders  for  an 
advance,  and  thus  permitted  the  whole  of  Putten- 
ham's brigade,  who  were  cut  off  and  must  have 
been  taken  prisoners,  to  escape  unharmed.  And 
thus  with  comparatively  little  loss  the  Americans 
drew  off,  leaving  behind  them  only  a  few  heavy 
cannon  and  some  bayonets  and  stores. 

So  rapid  had  been  their  flight  at  the  approach  of 
the  English  that  only  fifteen  were  killed,  two  men 
falling  on  the  English  side. 


164  TRUE  TO  TSE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    STJRPBISE   OF   TBENTON. 

THE  Americans,  finding  that  they  were  not  pur- 
sued, rallied  from  their  panic  and  took  up  a  posi- 
tion at  Harlem  and  Kingsbridge.  So  great  was  the 
disorganization  among  them  that  had  the  British 
advanced  at  once  they  would  have  taken  the  place 
with  scarcely  any  loss,  strong  as  it  was  by  nature 
and  by  the  intrenchments  which  Washington  had 
prepared.  Great  numbers  deserted,  disputes  broke 
out  between  the  troops  of  the  various  States,  insub- 
ordination prevailed,  and  the  whole  army  was 
utterly  disheartened  by  the  easy  victories  which  the 
British  had  obtained  over  them.  Washington  re- 
ported the  cowardice  of  his  troops  to  Congress, 
who  passed  a  law  inflicting  the  punishment  of  death 
for  cowardice. 

Before  leaving  New  York  the  Americans  had 
made  preparations  for  burning  the  whole  town,  but 
the  speediness  of  their  retreat  prevented  the 
preparations  being  carried  into  effect.  Fire  was  set 
to  it  in  several  places  and  a  third  of  the  town  was 
destroyed. 

The  position  taken  up  by  the  enemy  was  so 
strong  that  it  was  determined  to  operate  in  the  rear. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  165 

Some  redoubts  were  thrown  up  to  cover  New  York 
during  the  absence  of  the  main  part  of  the  British 
force. 

A  portion  of  the  British  army  was  landed  at  a 
point  threatening  the  retreat  of  the  Americans,  and 
a  series  of  skirmishes  of  no  great  importance  took 
place.  The  enemy  fell  back  from  their  most  ad- 
vanced works,  but  no  general  move  was  undertaken, 
although,  as  the  numbers  on  both  sides  were  about 
even  and  the  superior  fighting  powers  of  the  Eng- 
lish had  been  amply  demonstrated,  there  could  have 
been  no  doubt  as  to  the  result  of  a  general  battle. 
Lord  Howe,  however,  wasted  the  time  in  a  series  of 
petty  movements,  which,  although  generally  suc- 
cessful, had  no  influence  upon  the  result  and  served 
only  to  enable  the  Americans  to  recover  from  the 
utter  depression  which  had  fallen  upon  them  after 
the  evacuation  of  Long  Island  and  the  loss  of  New 
York. 

Gradually  the  Americans  fell  back  across  a  coun- 
try so  swampy  and  difficult  that  it  was  now  no 
longer  possible  to  bring  on  a  general  action.  Their 
retreat  had  the  effect  of  isolating  the  important 
positions  of  Kingsbridge  and  Fort  Washington. 
The  latter  post  was  of  the  utmost  importance,  inas- 
much as  it  secured  the  American  intercourse  with 
the  Jersey  shore.  The  fortifications  were  very 
strong  and  stood  upon  rising  and  open  ground.  It 
was  garrisoned  by  three  thousand  of  the  best 
American  troops  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Magaw.  Washington  was  gradually  withdrawing 


166  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

his  army,  and  had  already  given  orders  that  Fort 
Washington  should  be  evacuated  ;  but  General  Lee, 
who  was  second  in  command,  so  strongly  urged 
that  it  should  be  retained  that,  greatly  against  his 
own  judgment,  he  was  obliged  to  consent  to  its 
being  defended,  especially  as  Colonel  Magaw  in- 
sisted that  the  fort  could  stand  a  siege.  On  the 
night  of  November  14  the  British  passed  some 
troops  across  the  creek,  and  Lord  Howe  summoned 
the  place  to  surrender  on  pain  of  the  garrison  being 
put  to  the  sword.  Magaw  had  upon  the  previous 
day  received  large  numbers  of  reinforcements,  and 
replied  that  he  should  defend  the  fort.  Soon  after 
daybreak  on  the  16th  the  artillery  opened  on  both 
sides.  Five  thousand  Hessians,  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Knyphausen,  moved  up  the  hill, 
penetrated  some  of  the  advanced  works  of  the 
enemy,  and  took  post  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
fort.  The  second  division,  consisting  of  the  guards 
and  light  infantry,  with  two  battalions  of  Hessians 
and  the  Thirty-third  Regiment,  landed  at  Island 
Creek,  and  after  some  stiff  fighting  forced  the 
enemy  from  the  rocks  and  trees  up  the  steep  and 
rugged  mountain.  The  third  and  fourth  divisions 
fought  their  way  up  through  similar  defenses.  So 
steep  was  the  hill  that  the  assailants  could  only 
climb  it  by  grasping  the  trees  and  bushes,  and  so 
obstinate  was  the  defense  that  the  troops  were 
sometimes  mixed  up  together. 

The  bravery  and  superior  numbers  of  the  British 
troops  bore  down  all  resistance,  and   the  whole  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  167 

the  four  divisions  reached  their  places  round  the 
fort.  They  then  summoned  it  to  surrender,  and  its 
commander,  after  half  an  hour's  consideration,  see- 
ing the  impossibility  of  resisting  the  assault  which 
was  threatened,  opened  the  gates. 

Upon  the  English  side  about  eight  hundred  men 
were  killed  and  wounded,  of  whom  the  majority 
were  Hessians.  These  troops  fought  with  extreme 
bravery.  The  American  loss,  owing  to  their  supe- 
rior position,  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  killed 
and  wounded,  but  the  prisoners  taken  amounted  to 
over  three  thousand. 

On  the  18th  Lord  Howe  landed  a  strong  body  on 
the  Jersey  shore  under  Lord  Cornwallis,  who 
marched  to  Fort  Lee  and  surprised  it.  A  deserter 
had  informed  the  enemy  of  his  approach  and  the 
garrison  had  fled  in  disorder,  leaving  their  tents, 
provisions,  and  military  stores  behind  them.  Lord 
Cornwallis,  pushing  forward  with  great  energy, 
drove  the  Americans  out  of  New  Jersey.  Another 
expedition  occupied  Khode  Island. 

Cold  weather  now  set  in  and  the  English  went 
into  winter  quarters.  Their  success  had  been  com- 
plete, without  a  single  check,  and  had  they  been  led 
vigorously  the  army  of  Washington  might  on  two 
occasions  have  been  wholly  destroyed.  In  such  a 
case  the  moderate  portion  of  the  population  of  the 
colonies  would  have  obtained  a  hearing  and  a  peace 
honorable  to  both  parties  might  have  been  arrived 
at. 

The  advantage  gained  by  the  gallantry  of  the 


168  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

British  troops  was,  however,  entirely  neutralized  by 
the  lethargy  and  inactivity  of  their  general,  and 
the  colonists  had  time  given  them  to  recover  from 
the  alarm  which  the  defeat  of  their  troops  had 
given  them  to  put  another  army  in  the  field  and 
to  prepare  on  a  great  scale  for  the  following  cam- 
paign. 

The  conduct  of  General  Howe  in  allowing  Wash- 
ington's army  to  retire  almost  unmolested  was  to 
the  officers  who  served  under  him  unaccountable. 
His  arrangements  for  the  winter  were  even  more 
singularly  defective.  Instead  of  concentrating  his 
troops  he  scattered  them  over  a  wide  extent  of 
country  at  a  distance  too  great  to  support  each 
other,  and  thus  left  it  open  to  the  enemy  to  crush 
them  in  detail. 

General  Howe  now  issued  a  proclamation  offer- 
ing a  free  pardon  to  all  who  surrendered,  and  great 
numbers  of  colonists  came  in  and  made  their  sub- 
mission. Even  in  Philadelphia  the  longing  for 
peace  was  so  strong  that  General  Washington  was 
obliged  to  send  a  force  there  to  prevent  the  town 
from  declaring  for  England. 

During  the  operations  which  had  taken  place 
since  the  landing  of  the  British  troops  on  Long 
Island  Captain  Wilson's  company  had  taken  but 
little  part  in  the  operations.  All  had  been  straight- 
forward work  and  conducted  on  the  principles  of 
European  warfare.  The  services  of  the  volunteers 
as  scouts  had  not,  therefore,  been  called  into  requisi- 
tion. The  success  which  at  first  attended  the  ex- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  169 

pedition  had  encouraged  Captain  Wilson  to  hope 
for  the  first  time  since  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolu- 
tion that  the  English  might  obtain  such  decisive  suc- 
cesses that  the  colonists  would  be  willing  to  accept 
some  propositions  of  peace  such  as  those  indicated 
by  Lord  Howe — a  repeal  of  all  obnoxious  laws,  free- 
dom from  any  taxation  except  that  imposed  by 
themselves,  and  a  recognition  of  the  British  au- 
thority. When  he  saw  that  Lord  Howe,  instead  of 
actively  utilizing  the  splendid  force  at  his  disposal, 
frittered  it  away  in  minor  movements  and  allowed 
Washington  to  withdraw  with  his  beaten  army  un- 
molested, his  hopes  again  faded,  and  he  felt  that 
the  colonists  would  in  the  long  run  succeed  in  gain- 
ing all  that  they  contended  for. 

When  the  army  went  into  winter  quarters  the  com- 
pany was  ordered  to  take  post  on  the  Delaware. 
There  were  four  frontier  posts,  at  Trenton,  Borden- 
town,  White  Horse,  and  Burlington.  Trenton,  oppo- 
site to  which  lay  Washington  with  the  main  body 
of  his  army,  was  held  by  only  twelve  hundred  Hes- 
sians, and  Bordentown,  which  was  also  on  the  Dela- 
ware, was,  like  Trenton,  garrisoned  by  these  troops. 
No  worse  choice  could  have  been  made.  The 
Hessians  were  brave  soldiers,  but  their  ignorance  of 
the  language  and  of  the  country  made  them  pecul- 
iarly unsuitable  troops  for  outpost  work,  as  they 
were  unable  to  obtain  any  information.  As  foreign- 
ers, too,  they  were  greatly  disliked  by  the  country 
people. 

Nothing  was  done  to  strengthen  these  frontier 


170  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

posts,  which  were  left  wholly  without  redoubts  or 
intrenchments,  into  which  the  garrison  could  with- 
draw in  case  of  attack. 

Captain  Wilson's  little  company  were  to  act  as 
scouts  along  the  line  of  frontier.  Their  headquar- 
ters were  fixed  at  Bordentown,  where  Captain 
Wilson  obtained  a  large  house  for  their  use.  Most 
of  the  men  were  at  home  at  work  of  this  kind,  and 
Peter  Lambton,  Ephraim,  and  the  other  frontiers- 
men were  dispatched  from  time  to  time  in  different 
directions  to  ascertain  the  movements  and  intentions 
of  the  enemy.  Harold  asked  his  father  to  allow 
him,  as  before,  to  accompany  Peter.  The  inactivity 
of  a  life  at  a  quiet  little  station  was  wearisome,  and 
with  Peter  he  was  sure  of  plenty  of  work,  with  a 
chance  of  adventure.  The  life  of  exercise  and 
activity  which  he  had  led  for  more  than  a  year  had 
strengthened  his  muscles  and  widened  his  frame, 
and  he  was  now  able  to  keep  up  with  Peter,  how- 
ever long  and  tiresome  the  day's  work  might  be. 
Jake,  too,  was  of  the  party.  He  had  developed 
into  an  active  soldier,  and  although  he  was  but  of 
litttle  use  for  scouting  purposes,  even  Peter  did  not 
object  to  his  accompanying  him,  for  the  negro's  un- 
failing good  temper  and  willingness  to  make  himself 
useful  had  made  him  a  favorite  with  the  scout. 

The  weather  was  now  setting  in  exceedingly  cold. 
The  three  men  had  more  than  once  crossed  the 
Delaware  in  a  canoe  and  scouted  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  enemy's  country.  They  were  now  sitting  by 
the  bank  watching  some  drifting  ice  upon  the 
river. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  171 

"There  won't  be  many  more  passages  of  the 
river  by  water,"  Peter  remarked.  "  Another  ten 
days  and  it'll  be  frozen  right  across. 

"Then  we  can  cross  on  foot,  Peter." 
i 

"Yes,  we  can  do  that,"  the  scout  said,  "and  so 
can  the  enemy.  Ef  their  general  has  got  any  inter- 
prise  with  him,  and  ef  he  can  get  them  chaps  as  he 
calls  soldiers  to  fight,  he'll  be  crossing  over  one 
of  these  nights  and  capturing  the  hull  of  them 
Hessians  at  Trenton.  What  General  Howe  means 
by  leaving  'em  there  is  more  nor  I  can  think  ;  he 
might  as  well  have  sent  so  many  babies.  The 
critters  can  fight,  and  fight  well  too,  and  they're 
good  soldiers;  but  what's  the  good  of  'em  in  a 
frontier  post  ?  They  know  nothing  of  the  country  ; 
they  can't  speak  to  the  people  nor  ask  no  questions 
nor  find  out  nothing  about  what's  doing  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  They  air  no  more  than  mere 
machines.  What  was  wanted  was  two  or  three 
battalions  of  light  troops,  who  would  make  friends 
with  the  country  people  and  larn  all  that's  doing 
opposite.  If  the  Americans  are  sharp  they'll  give 
,  us  lots  of  trouble  this  winter,  and  you'll  find  there 
;  won't  be  much  sitting  quiet  for  us  at  Bordentown. 
Fortunately  Bordentown  and  Trenton  ain't  far 
apart,  and  one  garrison  ought  to  be  able  to  arrive 
to  the  assistance  of  the  other  before  it's  over* 
powered.  We  shall  see.  Now,  I  propose  that  we 
cross  again  to-night  and  try  and  find  out  what  the 
enemy's  doing.  Then  we  can  come  back  and  man- 
age for  you  to  eat  your  Christmas  dinner  with  yer 


172  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

father,  as  you  seem  to  have  bent  yer  mind  upon 
that,  though  why  it  matters  about  dinner  one  day 
more  than  another  is  more  nor  I  can  see." 

That  night  the  three  scouts  crossed  the  river  in 
the  canoe.  Avoiding  all  houses,  they  kept  many 
miles  straight  on  beyond  the  river  and  lay  down  for 
a  few  hours  before  morning  dawned  ;  then  they 
turned  their  faces  the  other  way  and  walked  up  to 
the  first  farm-house  they  saw. 

"  Can  we  have  a  drink  of  milk  ?"  the  hunter 
asked. 

"  You  can,"  the  farmer  replied,  "  and  some  break- 
fast if  you  like  to  pa}7  for  it.  At  first  I  was  glad  to 
give  the  best  I  had  to  those  who  came  along,  but 
there  have  been  such  numbers  r  oing  one  way  and 
the  other,  either  marching  to  join  the  army  or  run- 
ning away  to  return  to  their  homes,  that  I  should 
be  ruined  if  I  gave  to  all  comers." 

"  We're  ready  to  pay,"  Peter  said,  drawing  some 
money  from  his  pocket. 

"  Then  come  in  and  sit  down." 

In  a  few  minutes  an  excellent  breakfast  was  put 
before  them. 

"You  are  on  your  way  to  join  the  army,  of 
course  ?"  the  farmer  asked. 

"  Jest  that,"  Peter  replied.  "  We  think  it's  about 
our  time  to  do  a  little  shooting,  though  I  don't  sup- 
pose there'll  be  much  done  till  the  spring." 

"  I  don't  know,"  the  farmer  said.  "  I  should  not 
be  surprised  if  the  general  wakes  up  them  Germans 
when  the  Delaware  gets  frozen.  I  heard  some  talk 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  173 

about  it  from  some  men  who  came  past  yesterday. 
Their  time  was  expired,  they  said,  and  they  were 
going  home.  I  hear,  too,  that  they  are  gathering  a 
force  down  near  Mount  Holly,  and  I  reckon  that 
they  are  going  to  attack  Bordentown." 

"  Is  that  so  ?"  Peter  asked.  "  In  that  case  we 
might  as  well  tramp  in  that  direction.  It  don't 
matter  a  corn  shuck  to  us  where  we  fight  so  as  it's 
soon.  We've  come  to  help  lick  these  British  and 
we  means  to  do  it." 

"  Ah  !"  the  farmer  said,  "  I  have  heard  that  senti- 
ment a  good  many  times,  but  I  have  not  seen  much 
come  of  it  yet.  So  far  it  seems  to  me  as  the  licking 
has  been  all  the  other  way." 

"That's  so,"  Peter  agreed.  "But  every  one 
knows  that  the  Americans  are  just  the  bravest 
people  on  the  face  of  the  habitable  arth.  I  reckon 
their  dander's  not  fairly  up  yet ;  but  when  they  be- 
gin in  arnest  you'll  see  what  they'll  do." 

The  farmer  gave  a  grunt  which  might  mean  any- 
thing. He  had  no  strong  sympathies  either  way, 
and  the  conduct  of  the  numerous  deserters  and  dis- 
banded men  who  had  passed  through  his  neighbor- 
hood had  been  far  from  impressing  him  favorably. 

"  I  don't  pretend  to  be  strong  either  for  the  Con- 
gress or  the  king.  I  don't  want  to  be  taxed,  but  I 
don't  see  why  the  colonists  should  not  pay  some- 
thing toward  the  expenses  of  the  government ;  and 
now  that  Parliament  seems  willing  to  give  all  we 
ask  for,  I  don't  see  what  we  want  to  go  on  fight- 
ing for." 


174  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  "Waal  I"  Peter  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  disgust, 
"you're  one  of  the  half-hearted  ones." 

"  I  am  like  the  great  majority  of  the  people  of  this 
country.  We  are  of  English  stock  and  we  don't 
want  to  break  with  the  old  country  ;  but  the  affairs 
have  got  into  the  hands  of  the  preachers,  and  the 
newspaper  men,  and  the  chaps  that  want  to  push 
themselves  forward  and  make  their  pile  out  of  the 
war.  As  I  read  it,  it's  just  the  civil  war  in  England 
over  again.  We  were  all  united  at  the  first  against 
what  we  considered  as  tyranny  on  the  part  of  the 
Parliament,  and  now  we  have  gone  setting  up  de- 
mands which  no  one  dreamed  of  at  first  and  which 
most  of  us  object  to  now,  only  we  have  no  longer 
the  control  of  our  own  affairs." 

"  The  great  heart  of  this  country  beats  for  free- 
dom," Peter  Lambton  said. 

"  Pooh  !"  said  the  farmer  contemptuously.  "  The 
great  heart  of  the  country  wants  to  work  its  farms 
and  do  its  business  quietly.  The  English  general 
has  made  fair  offers  which  might  well  be  accepted ; 
and  as  for  freedom,  there  was  no  tyranny  greater 
than  that  of  the  New  England  States.  As  long  as 
they  managed  their  own  affairs  there  was  neither 
freedom  of  speech  nor  religion.  No,  sir,  what  they 
called  freedom  was  simply  the  freedom  to  make 
every  one  else  do  and  think  lik(  the  majority." 

"  Waal,  we  won't  argue  it  out,''  Peter  said,  "  for 
I'm  not  good  at  argument,  and  I  came  here  to  fight 
and  not  to  talk.  Besides,  I  want  to  get  to  Mount 
Holly  in  time  to  jine  in  this  battle,  so  I  guess  we'll 
be  moving." 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  175 

Paying  for  the  breakfast,  they  started  at  once  in 
the  direction  of  Mount  Holly,  which  lay  some 
twenty-five  miles  away.  As  they  approached  the 
place  early  in  the  afternoon  they  overtook  several 
men  going  in  the  same  direction.  They  entered 
into  conversation  with  them,  but  could  only  learn 
that  some  four  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  militia  from 
Philadelphia  and  the  counties  of  Gloucester  and 
Sailing  had  arrived  on  the  spot.  The  men  whom 
they  had  overtaken  were  armed  countrymen  who 
were  going  to  take  a  share  in  the  fight  on  their  own 
account. 

Entering  the  place  with  the  others,  Peter  found 
that  the  information  given  him  was  correct. 

"  We  better  be  out  of  this  at  once,"  he  said  to 
Harold,  "  and  make  for  Bordentown." 

"  You  don't  think  that  there  is  much  importance 
in  the  movement,"  Harold  said  as  they  tramped 
along. 

"  There  ain't  no  importance  whatever,"  Peter 
said,  "and  that's  what  I  want  to  tell  'em.  They're 
never  thinking  of  attacking  the  two  thousand  Hes- 
sians at  Bordentown  with  that  ragged  lot." 

"But  what  can  they  have  assembled  them  for 
within  twelve  miles  of  the  place  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  the  hunter  replied,  "  that  it's 
jest  a  trick  to  draw  the  Germans  out  from  Borden- 
town and  so  away  from  Trenton.  At  any  rate,  it's 
well  that  the  true  account  of  the  force  here  should 
be  known.  These  things  gets  magnified,  and  they 
may  think  that  there's  a  hull  army  here." 


176  TRUE  TO  THE  OLP  FLAG. 

It  was  getting  dusk  when  they  entered  Borden- 
town,  and  Harold  was  glad  when  he  saw  the  little 
town,  for  since  sunset  on  the  evening  before  they 
had  tramped  nearly  sixty  miles.  The  place  seemed 
singularly  quiet.  They  asked  the  first  person  they 
met  what  had  become  of  the  troops,  and  they  were 
told  that  Colonel  Donop,  who  commanded,  had 
marched  an  hour  before  with  his  whole  force  of  two 
thousand  men  toward  Mount  Holly,  leaving  only 
eighty  men  in  garrison  at  Bordentown. 

"  We  are  too  late,"  Harold  said.  They  have  gone 
by  the  road  and  we  kept  straight  through  the  woods 
and  so  missed  them." 

"  "Waal,  I  hope  no  harm'ill  come  of  it.  I  sup- 
pose they  mean  to  attack  at  daybreak,  and  in 
course  that  rabble  will  run  without  fighting.  I 
hope  when  the  colonel  sees  as  how  thar's  no  enemy 
there  worth  speaking  of  he'll  march  straight  back 
again." 

Unfortunately  this  was  not  the  case.  The  mili- 
tia, according  to  their  orders,  at  once  dispersed 
when  their  outposts  told  them  of  the  approach  of 
the  British,  but  the  German  officer,  instead  of 
returning  instantly,  remained  for  two  days  near 
Mount  Holly,  and  so  gave  time  to  Washington  to 
carry  out  his  plans. 

Captain  Wilson's  company  had  gone  out  with  the 
force,  and  Peter  and  his  companions  had  the  house 
to  themselves  that  night.  Harold  slept  late,  being 
thoroughly  fatigued  by  his  long  march  the  day  be- 
fore, carrying  his  rifle,  blanket,  and  provisions. 
Peter  woke  him  at  last. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  177 

"  Now,  young  un,  you've  had  a  good  sleep ;  it's 
eleven  o'clock.  I'm  off  to  Trenton  to  see  what's 
doing  there.  "Will  you  go  with  me  or  will  you  stop 
here  on  the  chance  of  eating  your  dinner  with  your 
father?" 

"  Oh,  it's  Christmas  Day,"  Harold  said,  stretch- 
ing. "  "Well,  what  do  you  think,  Peter — are  they 
likely  to  come  back  or  not  ?" 

"  They  ought  to  be  back,  there's  no  doubt  about 
that,  but  whether  they  will  or  not  is  a  different 
affair  altogether.  I've  never  seed  them  hurry 
themselves  yet,  not  since  the  war  began ;  things 
would  have  gone  a  good  deal  better  if  they  had  ; 
but  time  never  seems  of  no  consequence  to  them. 
They  marched  twelve  miles  last  night,  and  I  reckon 
it's  likely  they'll  halt  to-day  and  won't  be  back  till 
to-morrow.  I  feel  oneasy  in  my  mind  about  the 
whole  affair,  for  I  can't  see  a  single  reason  for  the 
enemy  sending  that  weak  force  to  Mount  Holly, 
unless  it  was  to  draw  away  the  troops  from  here, 
and  the  only  motive  there  could  be  for  that  would 
be  because  they  intended  to  attack  Trenton." 

"  Yery  well,  Peter,  I  will  go  with  you." 

Accompanied  by  Jake  they  set  out  at  once  for 
Trenton.  On  arriving  there  they  found  no  partic- 
ular signs  of  vigilance.  Since  the  Hessians  had 
reached  Trenton  their  discipline  had  much  relaxed. 
A  broad  river  separated  them  from  the  enemy,  who 
were  known  to  be  extremely  discontented  and  dis- 
organized. They  had  received  instruction  on  no  ac- 
count to  cross  the  river  to  attack  the  colonials,  and 


178  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  natural  consequence  of  this  forced  inactivity  had 
manifested  itself.  Discipline  was  lax  and  but  a 
slight  watch  was  kept  on  the  movements  of  the 
enemy  across  the  stream.  Ignorant  of  the  language 
of  the  people,  they  were  incapable  of  distinguishing 
between  those  who  were  friendly  and  those  who 
were  hostile  to  the  crown,  and  they  behaved  as  if 
in  a  conquered  country,  taking  such  necessaries  as 
they  required  without  payment,  and  even  sending 
parties  to  a  considerable  distance  on  plundering  ex- 
peditions. 

Peter,  on  his  arrival,  proceeded  to  the  head- 
quarters of  Colonel  Rhalle,  who  was  in  command — 
an  officer  of  great  bravery  and  energy.  One  of  his 
officers  was  able  to  speak  English,  and  to  him  Peter 
reported  the  departure  of  the  force  from  Borden- 
town,  of  which  Colonel  Rhalle  was  already  aware, 
and  the  weakness  of  the  American  force  at  Mount 
Holly.  He  stated  also  his  own  belief  that  it  was 
merely  a  feint  to  draw  off  Colonel  Donop,  and  that 
preparatory  to  an  attack  on  Trenton.  The  officer 
treated  the  information  lightly,  and  pointing  to  the 
mass  of  ice  floating  down  the  river  asked  whether 
it  would  be  possible  for  boats  to  cross. 

"  "When  the  river  freezes,"  he  said,  "  there  may  be 
some  chance  of  attack.  Till  then  we  are  absolute- 
ly safe." 

Peter,  shaking  his  head,  rejoined  his  companions 
and  told  them  of  the  manner  in  which  his  advice 
had  been  received. 

"  But  it  would  be  difficult  to  cross  the  river," 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  179 

Harold  «aid.  "  Look  at  the  masses  of  ice  on  the 
water." 

"  It  would  be  difficult,"  the  hunter  admitted,  "  but 
not  by  no  manner  of  means  impossible.  Determined 
men  could  do  it.  Waal,  I've  done  my  duty  and  can 
do  no  more.  Ef  the  night  passes  off  quietly  we'll 
cross  again  before  daybreak  and  go  right  into  the 
Yankee  camp  and  see  what  they're  up  to.  Now, 
Harold,  you  can  take  it  easy  till  nightfall ;  there's 
naught  to  be  learned  till  then,  and  as  we  shall  be 
on  foot  all  night  ye  may  as  well  sleep  to-day." 

Returning  to  a  spot  on  the  bank  of  the  river  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  town,  they  made  a  fire,  on 
which  Jake  cooked  some  steaks  of  venison  they  had 
procured.  After  smoking  a  pipe  the  hunter  set  the 
example  by  stretching  himself  on  the  ground  near 
the  fire  and  going  to  sleep.  Used  as  he  was  to 
night  marches,  he  had  acquired  the  faculty  of  going 
to  sleep  at  any  hour  at  will.  Jake  and  Harold  were 
some  time  before  they  followed  his  example,  but 
they  too  were  at  last  asleep.  At  sunset  they  were 
on  their  feet  again,  and  after  taking  supper  pro- 
ceeded along  the  river. 

The  night  passed  off  quietly,  and  Harold  became 
convinced  that  his  companion's  fears  were  un- 
founded. Toward  morning  he  suggested  that  it 
was  time  to  be  crossing  the  river. 

"  I'm  not  going  yet,"  the  hunter  said.  "  Before  I 
<itart  we'll  go  down  to  Trenton  Ferry,  a  mile  below 
fche  town.  Ef  they  come  over  at  all  it's  likely 
enough  to  be  there.  There'll  be  time  then  to  get 


180  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

back  and  cross  before  it's  light.  It's  six  o'clock 
now." 

They  kept  along  the  road  by  the  river  until  they 
were  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  ferry.  Pres- 
ently they  saw  a  dark  mass  ahead. 

"Jerusalem!"  Peter  exclaimed.  "There  they 
are." 

They  immediately  discharged  their  rifles  and  ran 
back  at  full  speed  to  the  outposts,  which  were  but  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  town.  The  Americans 
had  also  pressed  forward  at  full  speed,  and  the  out- 
posts, who  had  been  alarmed  by  the  discharge  of 
the  rifles,  were  forced  at  once  to  abandon  the  post 
and  to  run  into  the  town,  whither  they  had,  on 
hearing  the  rifles,  already  sent  in  one  of  their 
number  with  the  news.  Here  all  was  in  confusion. 
The  Hessian  leader  was  trying  to  collect  his  troops, 
who  were  hurrying  in  from  their  quarters,  but 
many  of  them  thought  more  of  storing  their  plunder 
away  in  the  wagons  than  of  taking  their  places  in 
the  ranks. 

Washington  had  crossed  with  twenty-five  hun- 
dred men  and  a  few  field-pieces,  and  upon  gain- 
ing the  Jersey  side  had  divided  his  troops  into  two 
detachments,  one  of  which  marched  by  the  river 
side,  the  other  by  an  upper  road.  Hurrying  for- 
ward they  surrounded  the  town,  and  placing  their 
field-pieces  in  the  road  opened  fire  on  the  astonished 
Heesians.  Khalle  had  by  this  time  succeeded  in  as- 
sembling the  greater  part  of  his  force  and  charged 
the  Americans  with  his  usual  courage.  He  received, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAO.  181 

however,  a  mortal  wound  as  he  advanced.  His 
troops  immediately  lost  heart,  and  finding  their  re- 
treat cut  off  at  once  surrendered.  A  body  of  Hes- 
sian light  horse  succeeded  in  making  their  escape. 
The  casualties  were  few  on  either  side,  but  a  thou- 
sand prisoners  were  taken.  Two  other  divisions  of 
the  Americans  had  attempted  to  cross,  the  one  at 
Bordentown,  the  other  at  Mackenzie's  Ferry,  but 
both  had  failed  owing  to  the  quantity  of  floating 
ice.  "Washington  retired  across  the  Delaware  the 
same  afternoon. 

The  consequences  of  this  success  were  great. 
The  spirits  of  the  Americans,  which  had  fallen  to 
the  lowest  ebb  in  consequence  of  the  uninterrupted 
series  of  defeats,  rose  greatly.  They  found  that 
the  British  were  not  invincible,  and  that  if  unable 
to  oppose  them  in  great  battles  they  might  at  least 
inflict  heavy  losses  on  them  and  weary  them  out 
with  skirmishes  and  surprises.  The  greatest  joy 
reigned  throughout  the  various  States ;  fresh  levies 
were  ordered ;  the  voices  of  the  moderate  party, 
which  had  been  gaining  strength,  were  silenced, 
and  the  determination  to  continue  the  war  vigor- 
oulsy  was  in  the  ascendency. 

The  lesson  given  at  Trenton  was  wholly  lost  upon 
the  English  commander-in-chief.  Instead  of  at  once 
ordering  General  Leslie  to  advance  from  Princeton 
and  to  hold  the  enemy  in  check  by  reoccupying 
and  fortifying  Trenton,  he  allowed  Colonel  Donop 
to  abandon  Bordentown  and  to  fall  back  to  Prince- 
ton— thus  laying  it  open  to  Washington  to  cross 


182  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  Delaware  again  and  carry  the  war  into  New 
Jersey.  Washington,  after  waiting  eight  days,  see- 
ing the  indecision  and  ineptitude  of  the  British 
general,  again  crossed  with  four  thousand  men  and 
occupied  Trenton. 

Peter  Lambton  and  his  two  companions  were  not 
among  the  prisoners  taken  at  Trenton.  On  enter- 
ing the  town  Harold  was  about  to  join  the  Hessians 
assembling  under  Colonel  Rhalle,  but  Peter  gave  a 
violent  tug  to  his  coat. 

"  Come  along,  young  un,"  he  said.  "  The  darned 
fools  have  let  themselves  be  caught  in  a  trap  and 
they'll  find  there's  no  way  out  of  it.  In  ten  minutes 
the  Americans  will  be  all  round  the  place,  and  as  I 
don't  wish  to  spend  a  year  or  two  in  a  Yankee 
prison  at  present  I'm  going  to  make  tracks  at  once. 
Fighting  aren't  no  good  now.  Men  who'll  let 
'emselves  be  caught  in  a  trap  like  this'll  never  be 
able  to  cut  their  way  out  of  it.  Come  on." 

Much  against  his  will  Harold  yielded  to  Peter's 
wishes,  and  the  three  kept  straight  on  through  the 
town  by  the  river  side  and  issued  into  the  country 
beyond  before  the  Americans  had  surrounded  it. 
A  minute  or  two  after  leaving  the  town  the  light 
horse  galloped  past. 

"  There  are  some  more  out  of  the  hole,  and  I 
reckon  that's  about  all.  There,  do  ye  hear  the 
guns?  The  Yanks  have  brought  their  artillery 
over — I  reckon  the  fight  won't  last  long." 

For  two  or  three  minutes  there  was  a  roar  of 
musketry ;  then  this  suddenly  ceased. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  183 

"  I  thought  as  much,"  Peter  said.  "  They've  sur- 
rendered. K  they  had  only  kept  together  and 
fought  well  they  should  have  cut  their  way  through 
the  enemy.  Lord  !  what  poor  things  regular  soldiers 
are  in  the  dark!  A  frontiersman  would  just  as 
soon  fight  in  the  dark  as  in  the  light ;  but  here  are 
the  men  who  climbed  up  the  hill  to  Fort  Washing- 
ton— and  that  was  no  child's  play — no  better  nor  a 
pack  of  women  when  they're  attacked  half-asleep 
and  half-awake  just  as  day  is  breaking." 

The  three  comrades  walked  to  Bordentown, 
which,  they  were  relieved  to  find,  had  not  been 
attacked.  A  few  miles  beyond  this  place  they  met 
Colonel  Donop  marching  back  at  full  speed  with  his 
corps,  having  received  the  news  of  the  disaster  at 
Trenton  from  the  horsemen  who  had  fled.  They 
joined  their  company  and  marched  to  Princeton. 

A  fortnight  later  Lord  Cornwallis,  with  the 
forces  at  Lrunswicl',  under  General  Grant,  advanced 
to  Princeton  and  then  moved  forward  to  attack  the 
army  at  Trenton.  General  Washington  on  his  ap- 
proach retired  from  the  town  and,  crossing  a' rivulet 
at  the  back  of  it,  took  post  on  some  high  ground 
there,  with  the  apparent  intention  of  defending  him- 
self against  an  attack.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon, 
and  a  heavy  cannonade  was  kept  up  till  night-time. 
Lord  Cornwallis  determined  to  attack  next  morn- 
ing. At  two  in  the  morning  Washington  retired 
suddenly,  leaving  his  fires  burning.  Quitting  the 
main  road  he  made  a  long  circuit  through  Allen- 
town  and  marched  with  all  speed  toward  Prince- 
ton, which  place  he  intended  to  surprise.  When 


184  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Lord  Cornwallis  advanced  he  had  left  the  Seven- 
teenth, Fortieth,  and  Fifty-fifth  Regiments  there. 

On  arriving  at  Trenton  he  had  sent  word  back 
for  the  Seventeenth  and  Fifty-fifth  to  advance  to 
Maidenhead,  a  village  half-way  between  Princeton 
and  Trenton.  Colonel  Mawhood,  who  commanded, 
marched  at  daylight,  but  scarcely  had  he  started 
when  he  met  Washington  advancing  with  his  army. 
The  morning  was  foggy,  and  it  was  at  first  supposed 
that  the  enemy  were  a  body  of  British  troops 
marching  back  to  Princeton,  but  it  was  soon  found 
that  the  force  was  a  hostile  one.  Its  strength  could 
not  be  seen  on  account  of  the  fog,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  engage  it.  Possessing  himself  of  some 
high  ground,  he  sent  his  wagons  back  to  Princeton 
and  ordered  the  Fortieth  Regiment  to  come  out  to 
his  assistance. 

As  the  Americans  advanced,  the  artillery  on  both 
sides  opened  fire.  The  leadings  columns  of  the 
colonists  soon  showed  signs  of  disorder.  The 
Seventeenth  Regiment  fixed  bayonets  and  with 
great  gallantry  charged  the  enemy  in  front  of  them, 
driving  them  back  with  considerable  slaughter ;  and 
so  far  did  they  advance  that  they  were  separated 
from  the  other  battalions,  and  cutting  their  way 
through  the  American  force  the  regiment  pursued 
its  march  to  Maidenhead.  The  Fortieth  and  Fifty- 
fifth  fought  stoutly,  but  were  unable  to  make  their 
way  through  the  American  force,  and  fell  back  to 
Brunswick,  while  the  Americans  occupied  Prince- 
ton. At  daybreak  Lord  Cornwallis  discovered  the 
retreat  of  the  American  army,  and  being  appreheu- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  185 

sive  for  the  safety  of  Brunswick,  where  great  stores 
of  the  army  were  accumulated,  marched  with  all 
haste  toward  that  town. 

Brigadier  Matthew,  the  officer  commanding  there, 
on  hearing  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy  at  once 
dispatched  the  store  wagons  toward  the  rear  and 
drew  up  his  small  command  to  defend  the  place  to 
the  last.  The  gallant  resistance  before  Princeton 
had  delayed  the  Americans  so  long  that  the  van  of 
the  army  of  Cornwallis  was  already  close  to  their 
rear  as  they  approached  Brunswick.  Seeing  this, 
Washington  abandoned  his  design  on  that  town  and 
crossed  the  Millstone  Kiver,  breaking  down  the 
bridge  at  Kingston  to  stop  pursuit. 

Washington  now  overran  East  and  West  Jersey, 
penetrated  into  Essex  County,  and  making  himself 
master  of  the  country  opposite  to  Staten  Island, 
thus  regained  almost  all  the  district  which  the  Eng- 
lish had  taken  from  him  in  the  autumn. 

All  this  greatly  heightened  the  spirit  and  courage 
of  the  Americans,  while  the  loyalists  and  the  Eng- 
lish troops  were  disheartened  and  disgusted  at  see- 
ing an  army  of  thirty  thousand  fine  troops  kept  in- 
active, while  the  enemy,  with  but  four  thousand 
men,  who  were  wholly  incapable  of  opposing  an 
equal  number  of  English  troops,  were  allowed  to 
wander  unchecked,  to  attack  and  harass  the  Eng- 
lish pickets,  and  to  utilize  the  whole  of  the  resources 
of  their  country.  Had  General  Howe  entertained 
a  fixed  desire  to  see  English  authority  overthrown 
in  America  he  could  not  have  acted  in  a  manner 
more  calculated  to  carry  those  wishes  into  effect 


1*6  2'J.iUti  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   TREACHEROUS   PLANTEB. 

IT  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  whole  of  the 
time  was  spent  in  scouting  and  fighting.  Between 
the  armies  lay  a  band  of  no  man's  land.  Here,  as 
elsewhere,  the  peopla  of  the  country  wer  dividsd 
in  their  opinions,  but  generally  mad  vaiy  little  dis- 
play of  these,  whatever  they  might  be.  It  is  true 
that  as  a  rule  non-combatants  were  but  little  inter- 
fered wif,h ;  still,  a  warm  and  open  display  of  sym- 
pathy with  one  side  or  the  other  w;*,s  likely  to  be 
attended  by  the  loss  of  cattle  and  damage  to  crops 
when  tlie  other  party  got  the  upper  hand.  In  some 
other  States  feeling  ran  much  higher.  In  the 
Carolinas  the  royalists  were  most  cruelly  perse- 
cuted. Their  property  was  destroyed  and  they 
were  in  many  cases  shot  down  without  mercy  ;  but 
generally  throughout  the  colonies  a  considerable 
latitude  of  opinion  was  allowed.  This  was  especially 
so  in  the  zone  between  the  armies  in  the  erseys. 
None  could  tell  what  the  positions  of  armies  a 
week  hence  might  be,  and  any  persecution  inflicted 
by  the  one  party  might  lead  to  retaliation  upon  a 
shift  of  positions  a  few  weeks  later.  A  general 
toleration  therefore  reigned. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  187 

Next  to  Peter  Lambton,  Harold's  greatest  friend 
in  the  corps  was  a  young  man  named  Harvey.  He 
was  of  good  family  and  belonged  to  New  York. 
Being  a  strong  loyalist,  he  had,  like  many  other 
gentlemen,  enlisted  for  service  under  the  old  flag. 
He  had  naturally  many  acquaintances  among  the 
county  families,  and  Harold  often  accompanied  him 
in  his  visits  to  one  or  other  of  them. 

During  the  winter,  when  things  were  quiet,  the 
duties  of  the  scouts  were  light,  and  it  was  the  habit 
among  them  that  one- third  should  be  on  outpost 
duty  at  a  time,  the  rest  being  free  to  move  about  as 
they  liked.  The  scouts  had  no  n'xed  order  or  posi- 
tion. They  went  out  alone  or  in  twos  or  threes,  as 
it  pleased  them,  their  duty  simply  being  to  watch 
everything  that  was  going  on  along  the  enemy's 
line  of  outposts,  to  bring  in  the  earliest  news  of  any 
intended  movements,  and  to  prevent  dashing  parties 
of  the  enemy's  horsemen  from  making  raids  into  or 
behind  the  British  lines.  They  were  not,  of  course, 
expected  to  check  bodies  of  cavalry  starting  on  a 
raid,  but  simply  to  obtain  information  of  their  hav- 
ing left  tbeir  lines  and  of  the  direction  taken,  and 
then  to  hurry  back  to  the  British  posts,  whence  a 
force  of  cavalry  would  be  sent  out  to  intercept  or 
check  the  invaders.  Many  dashing  exploits  were 
performed  by  the  cavalry  on  both  sides  in  the  way 
of  getting  behind  their  opponents'  quarters,  cutting 
off  provision  trains,  attacking  small  posts,  and  carry- 
ing off  straggling  parties. 

One  of  the  houses  to  which   Harold  used  most 


188  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

frequently  to  accompany  his  friend  Harvey  was 
situated  nearly  half-way  between  the  rival  armies 
and  was  about  eight  miles  from  either.  The  owner 
— Mr.  Jackson — was  a  man  of  considerable  wealth, 
and  the  house  was  large  and  well  appointed.  He 
had  before  the  troubles  began  a  fine  business  as  a 
lawyer  in  New  York,  but  when  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities  put  a  stop  to  all  business  of  a  legal  kind 
in  that  city  he  had  retired  to  his  country  house. 
Although  himself  born  in  England,  he  professed  to 
be  entirely  neutral,  but  his  family  were  undis- 
guisedly  loyal.  It  consisted  of  his  wife  and  two 
daughters,  girls  of  seventeen  and  eighteen  years 
old. 

When  the  English  army  advanced  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  property  Mr.  Jackson  was  always 
ready  to  offer  his  hospitality  to  the  officers  of  corps 
which  might  be  stationed  near  him,  and  he  similarly 
opened  his  house  to  the  Americans  when  they  in 
turn  advanced  as  the  British  turned  back.  Being, 
as  he  always  made  a  point  of  saying,  perfectly  neu- 
tral in  the  struggle,  he  was  glad  to  meet  gentlemen, 
irrespective  of  the  opinions  they  held.  The  line 
taken  by  Mr.  Jackson  was  one  which  was  very 
largely  pursued  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  coun- 
try houses  and  farms  scattered  over  what  was 
throughout  the  war  a  debatable  land.  So  frequent 
were  the  changes  of  the  position  of  the  armies  that 
none  could  say  who  might  be  in  possession  in  a 
week's  time,  and  it  was  therefore  an  absolute  neces- 
sity for  those  who  wished  to  live  unmolested  to  ab- 
stain from  any  strong;  show  of  partisanship. 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  189 

As  is  always  the  case  in  struggles  of  this  kind, 
the  female  population  were  more  enthusiastic  in 
their  partisanship  and  more  pronounced  in  their 
opinions  than  the  men  ;  and  although,  upon  the  ar- 
rival of  a  troop  of  cavalry  or  a  detachment  of  foot 
belonging  to  the  other  side,  the  master  of  the  house 
would  impartially  offer  what  hospitality  he  was 
capable  of,  it  was  not  difficult  to  perceive,  by  the 
warmth  or  coldness  of  the  female  welcome,  what 
were  the  private  sentiments  of  the  family. 

Harold  was  not  long  in  discovering,  from  the 
frequency  with  which  Harvey  proposed  an  excur- 
sion to  the  Jacksons'  and  from  his  conduct  there, 
that  Isa belle,  the  eldest  daughter,  was  the  object 
which  mainly  attracted  him.  The  families  had  long 
been  friends,  and  Harvey,  although  now  serving  as 
a  simple  scout,  was  of  a  position  equal  to  her  own. 
The  friends  were  always  cordially  received  by  Mr. 
Jackson,  and  Harold  was  soon  as  intimate  there  as 
his  comrade.  They  usually  left  their  quarters  a  lit- 
tle before  dusk  and  started  back  late  at  night. 
Often  as  Mr.  Jackson  pressed  them  to  stay,  they 
never  accepted  his  invitation. 

The  scouts,  from  their  activity  and  ubiquitous- 
ness,  were  the  letes-noirs  of  the  Americans,  whose 
most  secret  plans  were  constantly  detected  and 
foiled  by  the  sagacity  and  watchfulness  of  these 
men,  whose  unerring  rifles  made  frequent  gaps  in 
the  ranks  of  the  officers.  They  therefore  spared  no 
pains,  whenever  there  was  a  chance,  of  killing  or 
capturing  any  of  these  most  troublesome  foes,  and 


190  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Harvey  and  Harold  knew  that  a  report  of  their 
presence  at  the  Jacksons'  would  suffice  to  bring  a 
party  of  horsemen  from  the  American  lines.  Their 
visits,  therefore,  were  always  made  after  dark  and 
at  irregular  intervals,  and  in  spite  of  their  inclina- 
tion to  the  contrary,  they  made  a  point  of  return- 
ing at  night  to  their  quarters. 

Other  visitors  were  often  present  at  the  Jacksons', 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  neighbors,  and  there  was 
generally  music  and  singing,  and  sometimes  the 
young  people  stood  up  for  a  dance. 

The  scouts  wore  no  regular  uniform,  although 
there  was  a  general  similarity  in  their  attire,  which 
was  that  of  an  ordinary  backwoods  hunter.  When 
off  duty  they  were  allowed  to  dress  as  they  pleased, 
and  at  Mr.  Jackson's  the  two  friends  were  attired 
in  the  ordinary  dress  of  colonists  of  position.  At 
these  little  gatherings  political  subjects  were  never 
discussed,  and  a  stranger  spending  an  evening  there 
would  not  have  dreamed  that  the  house  stood  be- 
tween two  hostile  armies,  that  at  any  moment  a 
party  of  horsemen  belonging  to  one  side  or  other 
might  dash  into  the  court-yard,  and  that  even  those 
laughing  and  talking  pleasantly  together  might  be 
of  opinions  diametric?  IIv  opposed. 

Harvey  and  Harold  were  introduced  to  visitors 
simply  as  friends  from  New  York,  and  although  the 
suspicions  as  to  their  character  and  position  might 
be  strong,  no  one  thought  of  asking  questions. 

"I  do  not  like  that  fellow  Chermside,"  Harvey 
said  one  night  as  he  and  his  friend  were  returning 
to  their  quarters* 


TR TJB  TO  THE  OLD  FLAB.  191 

They  were  mounted ;  for  although  when  on  duty 
the  scouts  worked  on  foot,  many  of  them,  who  were 
men  of  property,  kept  horses  which  they  used  when 
not  so  engaged.  Harvey  had  two  horses,  and  one 
of  these  was  always  at  Harold's  service. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  you  don't  like  him,"  Harold 
replied  with  a  laugh,  "  and  I  imagine  the  dislike  is 
mutual.  When  two  gentlemen  are  paying  atten- 
tions to  one  lady  they  seldom  appreciate  each 
other's  merits  very  cordially." 

"I  don't  think  it  is  entirely  that,"  Harvey 
laughed.  "  Isabelle  and  I  understand  each  other, 
and  I  have  no  fear  of  his  rivalry  ;  but  I  do  not  like 
him." 

"  I  do  not  think  I  like  him  myself,"  Harold  said 
more  seriously  ;  "  and  yet  I  do  not  know  why  I 
should  not.  When  he  has  been  there  alone  with  us 
and  the  family  he  has  frequently  used  expressions 
showing  his  strong  leaning  toward  the  loyalists' 
side." 

"  I  don't  put  much  faith  in  that,"  Harvey  said. 
"He  knows  how  strongly  Mr.  Jackson  and  the 
girls  lean  toward  the  crown,  and  would  say  anything 
that  he  thought  would  please  Isabelle.  I  have 
spoken  to  her  and  she  thinks  that  he  is  sincere ;  in 
fact,  she  has  rather  a  good  opinion  of  him.  How- 
ever, we  shall  see.  It  was  rather  curious  that  that 
party  of  Morgan's  cavalry  should  have  ridden  up 
the  other  night  and  searched  the  house  two  hours 
after  we  left.  You  see,  we  had  agreed  to  sleep 
there  that  night  and  only  changed  our  minds  after 


192  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  others  had  all  left,  when  we  remembered  that 
we  were  both  for  duty  early  next  morning.  It 
might  have  been  a  coincidence,  of  course,  but  it  had 
an  ugly  look.  I  think  Mr.  Jackson  thought  so  too, 
for  he  did  not  ask  us  to  stop  to-night ;  anyhow  I 
wish  Chermside's  plantation  was  not  so  near  this 
and  that  he  did  not  drop  in  so  often." 

A  week  later  they  paid  another  visit.  When 
dinner  was  over  Harold  was  chatting  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jackson.  Harvey  was  sitting  at  the  piano, 
where  the  eldest  girl  was  playing,  and  the  younger 
was  looking  out  of  window. 

"  We  are  going  to  have  another  fall  of  snow,"  she 
said.  "  There  is  not  a  star  to  be  seen.  Oh !"  she 
exclaimed  suddenly. 

"  What  is  it,  my  dear  ?"  Mr.  Jackson  asked. 

"  There  is  a  rocket  gone  up  from  the  woods." 

"  A  rocket !"  M  r.  Jackson  repeated. 

"  Yes,  papa  ;  there  are  the  stars  falling  now." 

"That  is  a  curious  thing,"  Mr.  Jackson  said, 
while  the  others  went  to  the  window.  They  stood 
watching  for  some  minutes,  but  nothing  was  to  be 
seen. 

"  I  do  not  like  that  rocket,"  Mr.  Jackson  said  as 
they  left  the  window.  "  It  means  something.  It 
can  only  be  a  signal.  People  don't  let  off  rockets 
for  amusement  nowadays.  Did  you  meet  any  one 
on  the  road  ?" 

"  No,  sir,"  Harvey  said,  "  not  a  soul." 

"  I  do  not  like  it,"  their  host  repeated.  "  It  means 
mischief  of  some  sort  or  other.  I  do  not  wish  to 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  193 

seem  inhospitable,  but  my  advice  to  you  is,  get  on 
your  horses  at  once  and  ride  to  your  quarters.  You 
are  on  duty  to-morrow,  and  you  told  me  you  would 
pass  near  here  on  your  way  toward  the  enemy's 
lines.  You  might  look  in  as  you  go  past  and  hear 
whether  anything  came  of  it.  If  I  mistake  not  we 
shall  have  another  visit  from  Morgan's  horse  this 
evening." 

Much  against  their  inclination  the  young  men 
followed  Mr.  Jackson's  advice. 

The  next  day  they,  with  Peter  and  Jake,  stopped 
at  the  house  as  they  passed. 

"  I  was  right,"  their  host  said  as  the  two  young 
men  entered.  "  An  hour  after  you  left  twenty  of 
Morgan's  horse  rode  up  here.  They  would  not 
take  my  word  that  we  were  alone,  but  searched  the 
house  from  top  to  bottom  and  were  evidently  greatly 
disappointed  at  finding  no  one.  I  have  been  mak- 
ing inquiries  this  morning  and  find  that  all  the 
servants  were  in  the  house  at  the  time  my  daughter 
saw  the  rocket,  so  I  hope  that  I  have  no  traitor 
here.  Still,  it  is  clear  that  some  one  must  be  keep- 
ing watch  over  your  movements." 

<;  Have  you  asked,  sir,"  Harvey  said  after  a 
pause,  "  whether  any  one  came  after  we  had  ar- 
rived 3" 

"  I  do  not  see  how  any  one  could  come,  but  I  will 
ask." 

He  rang  the  bell  and  a  negro  servant  appeared. 

"  Did  any  one  come  to  the  house  yesterday,  Caesar, 
after  these  gentlemen  came — any  beggar  or  ped' 
dler,  or  any  one  of  that  sort  I" 


194  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG, 

"  No,  sir,  no  one  came  except  Massa  Chermside. 
He  get  off  his  horse  and  ask  if  you  hab  any  visitors. 
I  said  that  Massa  Harvey  and  Massa  Wilson  were 
here.  He  say  he  call  again  another  night  when  the 
family  alone,  and  rode  off." 

"  Just  what  I  expected,  sir,"  Harvey  said  when 
the  servant  left  the  room.  "  I  have  always  doubted 
that  fellow's  honesty." 

"  Oh,  nonsense  !"  Mr.  Jackson  replied.  "  You 
must  be  mad,  Harvey.  Chermside's  father  was  an 
old  friend  of  mine,  and  I  have  known  the  young 
fellow  since  he  was  a  child.  I  should  as  soon  sus- 
pect one  of  my  own  daughters  of  being  capable  of 
such  an  act  of  gross  treachery  as  laying  a  plot  to 
bring  the  American  cavalry  down  upon  guests  of 
mine.  The  idea  is  preposterous.  Bless  me,  how 
amused  the  girls  will  be  at  your  suspecting  their  old 
playfellow  1" 

"  I  hope  I  may  be  mistaken,  sir,"  Harvey  said, "  but 
Harold's  opinion  of  him  agrees  with  mine,  and  in 
talking  it  over  last  night  we  both  put  our  finger  on 
him  as  the  man  who  fired  the  rocket.  "Well,  now, 
we  must  be  pushing  on.  "We  are  bound  for  the  ford 
where  Morgan's  horse  must  have  come  over,  and 
shall  hear  from  our  fellows  there  whether  they  rode 
straight  here  after  crossing,  as  if  so  there  can  be  no 
doubt  whatever  that  the  rocket  was  a  signal." 

Upon  arriving  at  the  ford  they  found  that  Mor- 
gan's horse  had  only  crossed  an  hour  before  the  time 
at  which  they  arrived  at  Mr.  Jackson's.  One  of  the 
scouts  had  instantly  taken  word  to  the  nearest  cav- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  195 

airy  outpost,  but  the  enemy  had  recrossed  the  river 
before  these  had  arrived  on  the  spot. 

After  three  days  on  duty  at  the  front  the  party 
returned  to  their  lines,  and  the  next  time  that  the 
young  men  rode  out  to  their  friends  they  took  with 
them  Jake  and  Peter,  to  whom  they  related  the 
circumstances. 

The  scouts  proceeded  on  foot  and  separated  from 
the  others  a  mile  before  reaching  the  house,  having 
arranged  that  Peter  should  scout  round  it,  while 
Jake  should  proceed  to  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Chenn- 
side  and  keep  a  sharp  lookout  there. 

They  had  arranged  with  Mr.  Jackson  that  no 
mention  of  the  rocket  should  be  made  to  any  one, 
however  intimate  with  the  family. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,"  the  host  said  as 
they  entered  the  room  where  the  family  were  as- 
sembled, "  although  I  own  that  these  two  raids  of 
Morgan's  horse  have  made  me  uneasy.  The  girls 
have  been  immensely  amused  at  your  suspicions  of 
young  Chermside." 

"  How  could  you  think  such  a  thing  ?"  Isabelle 
said.  "He  was  here  on  the  following  evening  and 
was  as  indignant  as  we  were  at  the  thought  of 
treachery  being  at  work.  He  quite  agreed  with  us 
that  the  coming  of  the  Yankees  could  hardly  have 
been  accidental." 

"  You  said  nothing  about  the  rocket,  I  hope  ?" 
Harvey  asked. 

"  No,  we  kept  quite  silent  about  that,  as  you 
made  such  a  point  of  it ;  but  it  seemed  ridiculous 


196  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

with  him.     But  I  shall  be  in  a  fright  now  every 
time  you  come." 

"We  have  brought  two  of  our  men  with  us," 
,  Harvey  said,  "  and  they  are  scouting  round,  so  we 
shall  hear  if  another  rocket  goes  up ;  and  even  if  the 
person  who  let  it  up  suspects  that  the  last  was 
seen — as  he  might  do  from  our  having  left  so  sud- 
denly— and  tries  some  other  plan  to  warn  the  ene- 
my, we  can  trust  our  men  to  fire  a  shot  and  so  give 
us  warning  in  time.  We  have  told  the  groom  not 
to  take  the  saddles  off  the  horses,  as  we  may  stop 
but  a  short  time." 

At  eight  o'clock  a  disturbance  was  heard  outside, 
and  Jake  entered  the  room,  dragging  with  him  by 
main  force  the  young  planter. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  ?"  Mr.  Jackson 
asked  as  they  rose  from  their  seats  in  surprise. 

"  Me  tell  you,  sar,"  Jake  answered.  "  Me  had 
orders  from  Massa  Harold  to  watch  outside  ob  de 
house  ob  dis  feller  and  see  what  going  on  dere. 
About  half  an  hour  after  me  got  dere  a  nigger  come 
along  running  from  dis  direction.  Dat  no  business 
of  Jake's,  so  he  stood  in  de  trees  and  let  him  pass. 
He  go  into  de  house ;  five  minutes  afterward  dis 
feller  he  come  out  and  he  walk  away.  Jake  follow 
him  bery  quiet  to  see  what  him  after.  He  walk 
more  dan  a  mile,  den  he  get  on  to  de  oder  side  of 
dat  big  hill ;  den  me  see  him  stop,  and  Jake  tink  it 
time  to  interfere,  so  he  ran  up  and  catch  him.  He 
had  put  dis  ting  against  a  stump  of  a  tree,  and  had 
him  pistol  in  him  hand,  and  was  on  de  point  of 
firing  it  close  to  dis  ting,  so  as  to  light  him." 


A  TREACHEROUS  FRIEND  CAUGHT.— Page  196. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  197 

As  Jake  spoke  he  held  out  a  rocket.  Several 
times  while  Jake  had  been  speaking  the  planter  had 
tried  to  interrupt  him,  but  each  time  Jake,  who 
had  not  released  his  hold  of  him,  gave  him  so 
violent  a  shake  that  he  was  fain  to  be  silent. 

"  This  is  a  scandalous  indignity,"  he  exclaimed 
furiously  when  Jake  finished.  "  What  do  you 
mean,  sir,"  he  demanded  of  Harvey,  "  by  setting 
this  nigger  to  watch  my  abode  ?  I  will  have  satis- 
faction for  this  treatment." 

"  It  seems,  sir,"  Mr.  Jackson  said,  signing  to  Har- 
vey to  be  silent,  "  that  you  have  been  detected  in  a 
gross  act  of  treachery.  My  friends  have  suspected 
you  of  it,  but  I  indignantly  denied  it.  Could  we  be- 
lieve, I  and  my  family,  that  you,  whom  we  have 
known  as  a  child,  would  betray  our  guests  to  the 
Americans?  Loyalists  and  republicans  are  alike 
welcome  here.  I  do  not  ask  my  friends  their 
opinions.  My  house  is  neutral  ground,  and  I  did 
not  think  that  any  who  used  it  would  have  had  the 
treachery  to  turn  it  into  a  trap;  still  less  did  I 
imagine  you  would  do  so.  These  gentlemen  would 
be  perfectly  within  their  right  did  they  take  you 
out  and  hang  you  from  the  nearest  tree ;  but  for 
my  sake  I  trust  that  they  will  do  so ;  but  should 
the  American  cavalry  ever  again  visit  this  house 
under  circumstances  which  may  lead  it  to  be  sup- 
posed that  they  have  been  brought  here  to  capture 
my  guests,  I  shall  let  them  punish  you  as  you 
deserve.  No  word  of  mine  will  be  raised  in  your 
favor.  Now,  sir,  go,  and  never  again  enter  this 


198  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

house,  where  the  loathing  and  contempt  that  I  feel 
for  you  will,  I  know,  be  shared  by  the  ladies  of  my 
family." 

At  a  nod  from  Harold  Jake  released  his  hold  of 
the  captive,  who,  without  a  word,  turned  and  left 
the  room. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  for  a  minute  or  two  after 
he  had  left.  The  youngest  girl  was  the  first  to 
speak. 

"  The  wretch  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  To  think  that 
Herbert  Chermside  should  turn  out  such  a  mean 
traitor!  Papa,  I  would  have  let  them  hang  him  at 
once.  It  would  have  served  him  right.  .Now  he 
may  do  us  all  harm." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  you  are  not  right,  Ada,"  Mr. 
Jackson  replied  gravely.  "  I  am  far  from  saying 
that  I  acted  wisely.  Young  Chermside  has  many 
friends  among  the  Americans,  and  it  is  possible  that 
he  may  work  us  harm.  However,  my  position  as  a 
neutral  is  well  established.  Officers  on  both  sides 
have  at  times  been  welcomed  here,  and  his  report, 
therefore,  that  our  friends  here  are  often  with  us 
can  do  us  no  harm.  Henceforth  he  must  be 
regarded  as  an  enemy,  and  there  will  always  be 
danger  in  these  visits.  So  long  as  the  American 
outposts  are  within  an  hour's  ride  he  can  have  the 
road  watched,  and  although  he  is  not  likely  to  ven- 
ture upon  signaling  with  rockets,  he  may  send  or 
take  word  on  horseback.  A  bonfire,  too,  might  be 
lit  at  the  other  side  of  the  hill  to  call  them  over. 
Altogether  you  will  never  be  safe  from  home  except 


TRUE  TO  TSE  OLD  FLAG.  199 

when  you  have  a  strong  body  of  your  own  troops 
between  this  and  the  river." 

"  I  am  glad  to  say,"  Harvey  answered,  "  that  in 
consequence  of  the  news  of  Morgan's  raids  on  this 
side  a  body  of  two  hundred  infantry  and  a  troop  of 
cavalry  are  to  move  to-morrow  and  take  up  their 
position  by  the  ford,  so  we  shall  be  safe  from  any 
surprise  from  that  direction." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,"  Mr.  Jackson  said. 
"  It  will  relieve  me  of  a  great  anxiety.  Bat  pray 
be  watchful  when  you  are  in  this  neighborhood. 
You  have  made  a  bitter  enemy,  and  after  what  he 
has  proved  himself  capable  of  we  cannot  doubt  that 
he  would  hesitate  at  nothing.  I  understand,"  he 
went  on  with  a  smile  toward  his  eldest  daughter, 
"  what  is  at  the  bottom  of  his  conduct,  and  as  I 
have  long  suspected  his  hopes  in  that  quarter  I  am 
not  surprised  that  he  is  somewhat  hostile  to  you. 
Still,  I  never  for  a  moment  deemed  him  capable  of 
this." 

The  next  day  Mr.  Jackson  learned  that  his  'neigh- 
bor had  left  bis  plantation  and  had  told  his  servants 
that  he  was  not  likely  to  return  for  some  time. 

Shortly  after  this  a  series  of  bad  luck  attended 
the  doings  of  the  British  scouts.  Several  parties 
were  killed  or  captured  by  the  enemy  and  they  were 
constantly  baffled  by  false  reports,  while  the 
Americans  appeared  to  forestall  all  their  movements. 
It  was  only  when  enterprises  were  set  on  foot  and 
carried  out  by  small  bodies  that  they  were  ever 
successful,  anything  like  combined  action  by  the 
orders  of  the  officers  constantly  turning  out  ill. 


200  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  There  must  be  a  traitor  somewhere,"  Peter  said 
upon  the  return  of  a  party  from  an  attempt  which, 
although  it  promised  well,  had  been  frustrated,  to 
carry  off  a  number  of  cattle  from  one  of  the 
American  depots.  "  It  ain't  possible  that  this  can 
be  all  sheer  bad  luck.  It  ain't  no  one  in  our  com- 
pany, I'll  be  bound.  We  ain't  had  any  new  re- 
cruits lately,  and  there  ain't  a  man  among  us  whom 
I  could  not  answer  for.  There  must  be  a  black 
sheep  in  Gregory's  or  Vincent's  corps.  The  enemy 
seem  up  to  every  move,  and  between  us  we  have 
lost  more  than  thirty  men  in  the  last  few  weeks. 
There  ain't  no  doubt  about  it — there's  a  traitor 
somewhere  and  he  must  be  a  clever  one,  and  he 
must  have  pals  with  him,  or  he  couldn't  send  news 
of  what  we  are  doing  so  quickly.  It  beats  me  al- 
together, and  the  men  are  all  furious." 

"  I've  been  talking  with  some  of  our  men,"  Peter 
said  a  few  days  afterward,  "and  we  agree  that  we 
are  bound  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  matter. 
We're  sartin  sure  that  the  traitor  don't  belong  to 
us.  What  we  propose  is  this,  that  the  hull  of  us 
shall  go  up  together,  without  saying  a  word  to  a 
soul,  and  scatter  ourselves  along  the  river  at  all  the 
points  where  a  chap  going  with  a  message  to  the 
enemy  would  be  likely  to  cross.  The  night  we  go 
out  we'll  get  the  three  captains  all  to  give  orders  to 
their  men  for  an  expedition,  so  that  whoever  it  is 
that  sends  messages  from  here  would  be  sure  to  send 
over  word  to  the  Yankees ;  and  it'll  be  hard  if  we 
don't  ketch  him.  What  do  you  say  ?" 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  201 

"  I  think  the  plan  is  a  very  good  one,"  Harold 
answered.  "  If  you  like  I  will  go  with  my  father 
and  ask  Gregory  and  Vincent  to  send  their  men." 

Captain  Wilson  at  once  went  to  these  officers. 
They  were  as  much  irritated  and  puzzled  as  were 
their  men  by  the  failures  which  had  taken  place, 
and  agreed  that  next  evening  an  order  should  be 
issued  for  the  men  of  the  three  corps  to  act  in  com- 
bination, and  to  allow  it  to  leak  out  that  they  in- 
tended to  surprise  an  American  post  situated  near 
the  river,  twenty-one  miles  distant.  Captain  Wil- 
son's scouts,  instead  of  going  with  the  others,  were 
to  act  on  their  own  account. 

On  the  day  arranged,  as  soon  as  it  became  dark, 
the  forty  scouts  quietly  left  their  quarters  in 
small  parties  and  made  their  way  toward  the  river, 
striking  it  at  the  point  where  a  messenger  would  be 
likely  to  cross  upon  his  way  to  give  warning  to  the 
American  post  of  the  attack  intended  to  be  made 
upon  it.  They  took  post  along  the  river  at  a  dis- 
tance of  fifty  or  sixty  yards  apart  and  silently 
awaited  the  result.  Several  hours  passed  and  no 
sound  broke  the  stillness  of  the  woods.  An  hour 
before  dawn  Peter  Lambton  heard  a  slight  crack, 
as  that  of  a  breaking  twig.  It  was  some  distance 
back  in  the  woods,  but  it  seemed  to  him  by  the  di- 
rection that  the  man  who  caused  it  would  strike  the 
river  between  himself  and  Jake,  who  was  stationed 
next  to  him.  He  noiselessly  stole  along  toward  the 
point.  Another  slight  sound  afforded  him  a  sure 
indication  of  the  direction  in  which  the  man,  who- 


202  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

ever  he  might  be,  was  approaching.  He  hastened 
his  steps,  and  a  minute  later  a  negro  issued  from 
the  wood  close  to  him.  He  stood  for  an  instant  on 
the  river  bank  and  was  about  to  plunge  in,  when 
Peter  threw  his  arms  around  him. 

Although  taken  by  surprise,  the  negro  struggled 
desperately  and  would  have  freed  himself  from  the 
grip  of  the  old  scout  had  not  Jake  run  up  instantly 
to  his  comrade's  assistance.  In  a  minute  the  negro 
was  bound  and  two  shots  were  then  fired,  the  con- 
certed signal  by  which  it  would  be  known  along 
the  line  that  a  capture  had  been  effected.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  whole  body  was  assembled.  The  negro, 
who  refused  to  answer  any  questions,  was  carried 
far  back  into  the  woods  and  a  fire  was  lighted. 

"  Now,  nigger,"  Peter  said,  taking  as  captor  the 
lead  in  the  matter,  "jest  tell  us  right  away  where 
you  was  going  and  who  sent  you." 

The  negro  was  silent. 

"  Now.  look  ye  here,  darky,  you're  in  the  hands 
of  men  who  are  no  jokers.  Ef  you  tell  us  at  once 
who  put  ye  on  to  this  trick  no  harm  will  happen  to 
you  ;  but  ef  ye  don't  we'll  jest  burn  the  skin  off 
your  body  bit  by  bit." 

Still  the  negro  was  silent. 

"  Half  a  dozen  of  yez,"  Peter  said,  "  as  have  got 
iron  ramrods  shove  them  into  the  fire.  We'll  soon 
find  this  nigger's  tongue." 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  until  the  ramrods  were 
heated  red-hot. 

"  Now,"  Peter  said,  "  two  of  yez  clap  your  ram 
rods  against  this  darky's  flanks." 


T&TTE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  203 

The  negro  struggled  as  the  men  approached  him 
and  gave  a  terrific  yell  as  the  hot  iron  was  applied 
to  his  sides. 

"  I  will  tell  you,  sars — oh  !  have  mercy  upon  me 
and  I  will  tell  you  eberyting  !" 

"  I  thought,"  Peter  said  grimly,  "  that  you'd  find 
a  tongue  soon  enough.  Now,  then,  who  sent  you  ?" 

"  My  massa,"  the  negro  answered. 

"  And  who  is  your  master  ?" 

The  negro  was  again  silent,  but  as,  at  a  nod  from 
Peter,  the  men  again  raised  the  ramrods,  he  blurted 
out : 

"  Massa  Chermside." 

The  name  was  known  to  many  of  the  scouts,  and 
a  cry  of  anger  broke  from  them. 

"  I  thought  as  much,"  Harvey  said.  "  I  suspect- 
ed that  scoundrel  was  at  the  bottom  of  it  all  along. 
Where  is  he  ?"  he  asked  the  negro. 

"  Me  not  know,  sar." 

"  You  mean  you  won't  say,"  Peter  said.  "  Try 
the  vartue  of  them  ramrods  again." 

"  No !  no !"  the  negro  screamed.  "  Me  swear  me 
do  not  know  where  him  be.  You  may  burn  me  to 
death  if  you  will,  but  I  could  not  tell  you." 

"  I  think  he  is  speaking  the  truth,"  Harvey  said. 
"  Wait  a  minute.  Have  you  done  this  before  ?"  he 
asked  the  negro. 

"  Yes,  sar.  Eight  or  ten  times  me  swim  de  river 
e-.t  night." 

"  With  messages  to  th-e  Americans  ?" 

"  Yes,  sar ;  messages  to  American  officers." 


204  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAB. 

"  Have  you  any  written  message — any  letter  ?'* 

"  No,  sar,  me  never  take  no  letter.  Me  only  carry 
dis."  And  he  took  out  from  his  hair  a  tiny  ball  of 
paper  smaller  than  a  pea. 

It  was  smoothed  out  and  upon  it  were  the  words 
"  General  Washington." 

"  Where  I  go,  sar,  I  show  dem  dis,  and  dey  know 
den  dat  de  message  can  be  believed." 

"  But  how  do  you  get  the  message  ?  How  do  you 
see  your  master  ?" 

"  Massa's  orders  were  dat  me  and  two  oders  were 
to  meet  him  ebery  night  after  it  got  dark  at  a  tree 
a  mile  from  de  place  where  de  soldiers  are.  Some- 
times he  no  come.  When  he  come  he  gibs  each  of 
us  a  piece  of  money  and  tell  us  to  carry  a  message 
across  the  river.  We  start  by  different  ways,  swim 
across  de  water  in  different  places,  take  de  message, 
and  come  back  to  de  plantation." 

"  A  pretty  business !"  Peter  said.  "  Now  you 
must  come  back  with  us  to  the  post  and  tell  your 
story  to  the  commanding  officer.  Then  we  must 
see  if  we  can't  lay  hands  on  this  rascally  master  of 
yours." 

Upon  the  news  being  told,  the  general  in  com- 
mand sent  a  party  out,  who,  after  searching  the 
house  and  out-buildings  of  the  plantation  in  vain, 
set  fire  to  them  and  burned  them  to  the  ground. 
The  negroes  were  all  carried  away  and  employed  to 
labor  for  the  army.  The  town  and  all  the  surround- 
ing villages  were  searched,  but  no  trace  eould  be 
obtained  of  the  missing  man.  One  of  the  men  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  205 

Gregory's  corps  of  scouts  disappeared.  He  had  re- 
cently joined,  but  his  appearance  as  a  man  with 
beard  and  whiskers  in  no  way  agreed  with  that  of 
the  planter.  He  might,  however,  have  been  dis- 
guised, and  his  disappearance  was  in  itself  no  proof 
against  him,  for  the  scouts  were  under  no  great  dis- 
cipline, and  when  tired  of  the  service  often  left 
without  giving  notice  of  their  intention  of  doing  so. 
It  was,  moreover,  possible  that  he  might  have  fallen 
by  an  enemy's  bullet. 

The  strongest  proof  in  favor  of  the  deserter  being 
Chermside  was  that  henceforth  the  scouts  were 
again  as  successful  as  before,  often  surprising  the 
enemy  successfully. 

Now  that  the  ford  nearest  to  Mr.  Jackson's  was 
strongly  guarded,  the  young  men  had  no  apprehen- 
sion of  any  surprise,  although  such  an  event  was 
just  possible,  as  the  cavalry  on  both  sides  often 
nade  great  circuits  in  their  raids  upon  each  other's 
country.  That  Chermside  was  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood  they  believed,  having  indeed  strong 
reason  for  doing  so,  as  a  rifle  was  one  evening  fired 
at  them  from  the  wood  as  they  rode  over,  the  ball 
passing  between  their  heads.  Pursuit  at  the  time 
was  impossible,  but  the  next  day  a  number  of 
scouts  searched  the  woods  without  success.  Soon 
after  they  heard  that  Chermside  had  joined  the 
Americans  and  obtained  a  commission  in  a  body  of 
their  irregular  horse. 

Harvey  was  now  formally  engaged  to  Isabelle 
Jackson,  and  it  was  settled  that  the  wedding  should 


206  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

take  place  in  the  early  spring  at  New  York.  "When, 
not  on  duty  he  naturally  spent  a  good  deal  of  his 
time  there,  and  Harold  was  frequently  with  him. 
Since  he  had  been  fired  at  in  the  woods  Isabelle 
had  been  in  the  highest  state  of  nervous  anxiety 
lest  her  lover's  enemy  should  again  try  to  assassinate 
him,  and  she  begged  Harold  always  to  come  over 
with  him  if  possible,  as  the  thought  of  his  riding 
alone  through  the  wood  filled  her  with  anxiety. 

Although  he  had  no  order  to  do  so,  Jake,  when- 
ever he  saw  Harold  and  his  friend  canter  off  toward 
the  Jacksons',  shouldered  his  rifle  and  went  out 
after  them  to  the  house,  where,  so  long  as  they 
stayed,  he  scouted  round  and  round  with  the 
utmost  vigilance.  Very  often  Harold  was  ignorant 
of  his  presence  there,  but  when,  after  his  return,  he 
found  by  questioning  him  how  he  had  been 
employed,  he  remonstrated  with  him  on  such  ex- 
cessive caution. 

"  Can't  be  too  cautious,  raassa,"  Jake  said.  "  You 
see  dat  fellow  come  one  of  dese  days." 

Jake's  presentiment  turned  out  correct.  One 
evening  when  with  several  friends  the  young  men 
were  at  Mr.  Jackson's  the  sound  of  the  report  of  a 
rifle  was  heard  at  a  short  distance. 

"  That  must  be  Jake's  rifle  !"  Harold  exclaimed. 
"  Quick,  Harvey,  to  your  horse." 

It  was  too  late.  As  they  reached  the  door  a 
strong  party  of  American  cavalr}7  dashed  up  to  it. 

"  Surround  the  house  !"  an  officer  shouted.  "  Do 
not  let  a  soul  escape." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  207 

The  young  men  ran  upstairs  again. 

"  "We  are  caught,"  Harvey  said.  "  Escape  is  cut 
off.  The  Yankee  cavalry  are  all  round  the  house. 
Good-by,  Isabelle.  We  shall  meet  one  of  these 
days  again,  dear." 

The  girl  threw  herself  into  his  arms. 

"Be  calm,  love,"  he  said.  "Do  not  let  this 
scoundrel  have  the  satisfaction  of  triumphing  over 
you." 

A  moment  later  Chermside,  accompanied  by  sev- 
eral soldiers,  entered  the  room. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  so  pleasant  a  party,"  he 
said  in  a  sneering  voice,  "  but  if  Americans  choose 
to  entertain  the  enemies  of  their  country  they  must 
expect  these  little  disagreeables." 

Mr.  Jackson  abruptly  turned  his  back  upon  him, 
and  no  one  else  spoke,  although  he  was  personally 
well  known  to  all. 

"  These  are  the  two  men,"  he  said  to  the  soldiers 
— "  two  of  the  most  notorious  scouts  and  spies  on 
the  frontier.  We  will  take  them  to  headquarters, 
where  a  short  shrift  and  two  strong  ropes  will  be 
their  lot." 

"  The  less  the  word  spy  is  in  the  mouth  of  such  a 
pitiful  traitor  as  yourself  the  better,  I  should  say," 
Harvey  said  quietly ;  and  walking  forward  with 
Harold  he  placed  himself  in  the  hands  of  the 
soldiers. 

No  one  else  spoke.  Isabelle  had  fainted  when 
she  heard  the  threat  of  execution  against  her  lover. 
Ada  stood  before  her  with  a  look  of  such  anger 


208  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

and  contempt  on  her  young  face  that  Chermside 
fairly  winced  under  it. 

"  To  horse !"  he  said  sullenly,  and  turning,  fol- 
lowed his  men  and  prisoners  downstairs. 

The  troop,  Harold  saw,  numbered  some  two  hun- 
dred sabers.  They  had  with  them  a  number  of 
riderless  horses,  whose  accouterments  showed  that 
they  belonged  to  an  English  regiment ;  most  of  the 
men,  too,  had  sacks  of  plunder  upon  their  horses. 
They  had  evidently  made  a  successful  raid,  and  had 
probably  attacked  a  post  and  surprised  and  driven 
off  the  horses  of  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  and  were 
now  on  their  return  toward  their  lines. 

"  This  is  an  awkward  business,  Harold,"  Harvey 
said  as  in  the  midst  of  their  captors  they  galloped 
off  from  the  Jacksons'.  "  Of  course  it's  all  nonsense 
about  our  being  hung.  Still,  I  have  no  wish  to  see 
the  inside  of  a  prison,  where  we  may  pass  years  be- 
fore we  are  exchanged.  Once  handed  over  to  the 
authorities  we  shall  be  safe,  but  I  shall  not  feel  that 
we  are  out  of  danger  so  long  as  we  are  in  this 
scoundrel's  hands.  Fortunately  there  are  officers  of 
superior  rank  to  himself  with  the  squadron,  other- 
wise I  have  no  doubt  at  all  that  he  would  hang  us 
at  once." 

Such  was  indeed  the  case,  and  Chermside  was  at 
that  moment  fuming  intensely  at  the  chance  which 
had  thrown  his  rival  in  his  hands  at  a  time  when  he 
was  powerless  to  carry  out  his  vengeance.  He  had, 
indeed,  ventured  to  suggest  that  it  would  be  les? 
trouble  to  hang  the  prisoners  at  once,  but  the  majo? 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAU'.  209 

in  command  had  so  strongly  rebuked  him  for  the 
suggestion  that  he  had  at  once  been  silenced. 

"  I  blush  that  I  should  have  heard  such  words 
from  the  mouth  of  an  American  officer.  It  is  by 
such  deeds,  sir,  that  our  cause  is  too  often  dis- 
graced. We  are  soldiers  fighting  for  the  independ- 
ence of  our  country,  not  lawless  marauders.  Had 
these  men  been  taken  in  their  civilian  dress  over  on 
our  side  of  the  river  they  would  have  been  tried 
and  hung  as  spies ;  but  they  were  on  neutral 
ground,  and  in  fact  in  the  rear  of  their  own  posts. 
There  is  no  shadow  of  defense  for  such  an  accusa- 
tion. Should  I  ever  hear  a  similar  suggestion  I 
shall  at  once  report  your  conduct  to  General  Wash- 
ington, who  will  know  how  to  deal  with  you." 

"  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  Jake/'  Harold 
said  to  his  comrade.  "I  trust  he  was  not  shot 
down." 

"  Not  he,"  Harvey  said.  "  He  made  off  after  fir- 
ing his  rifle,  you  may  be  sure,  when  he  saw  that  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done.  The  fellow  can  run  like  a 
hare,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  by  this  time  he  has 
either  got  back  to  the  village  and  given  the  alarm 
there  or  has  made  for  the  ford.  There  are  one  hun- 
dred cavalry  there  now  as  well  as  the  infantry. 
Jake  will  be  there  in  an  hour  from  the  time  he 
started.  The  dragoons  will  be  in  the  saddle  five 
minutes  later,  and  it  is  just  possible  they  may  cut 
off  our  retreat  before  we  have  crossed  the  river. 
Peter  is  on  duty  there,  and  if  he  happens  to  be  at 
the  post  when  Jake  arrives  he  will  hurry  up  with 
all  the  scouts  he  can  collect'* 


210  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Jake  had  taken  flight  as  Harvey  supposed.  He 
had,  after  firing  his  rifle,  taken  to  the  wood,  and 
had  remained  near  the  house  long  enough  to  see 
which  way  the  cavalry  rode  when  they  started. 
Then  he  made  for  the  post  at  the  ford  at  the  top  of 
his  speed.  It  was  less  than  an  hour  from  starting 
when  he  arrived  there,  and  three  minutes  later  the 
cavalry  trumpets  were  blowing  "  To  horse  !"  After 
giving  his  message  to  the  officer  in  command  Jake 
went  into  the  village,  where  the  sounds  of  the  trum- 
pet brought  all.  the  soldiers  into  the  little  street. 

"  Hullo,  Jake !  is  that  you  ?"  a  familiar  voice 
asked.  "  What  the  tarnal  is  up  now  ?" 

Jake  hastily  related  what  had  taken  place. 

"  Tarnation  !"  Peter  exclaimed.  "  This  is  a  bad 
job.  They're  making,  no  doubt,  for  Finchley's 
Ford,  fifteen  mile  down  the  river.  With  an  hour's 
start  they're  sure  to  be  there  before  us." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Peter?  Are  you 
tinking  of  running  wid  de  cavalry  ?" 

"  Thinking  of  running  to  the  moon !"  the  scout 
said  contemptuously.  "  You  can  run  well,  I  don't 
deny,  Jake,  but  you  couldn't  run  fifteen  mile  with 
the  dragoons ;  and  if  you  could  you'd  get  there  too 
late.  Yer  bellows  are  going  pretty  fast  already. 
Now  don't  stand  staring  there,  but  hurry  through 
the  camp  and  get  all  our  boys  together.  Tell  them 
to  meet  by  the  water  side.  Get  Gregory  and  Yin- 
cent's  men  as  well  as  our  own.  There's  twenty  or 
thirty  altogether  in  the  place." 

Without  asking  a  question  Jake  ran  off  to  carry 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  211 

out  the  orders,  and  in  a  few  minutes  twenty-four 
men  were  collected  together  on  the  bank. 

"Now,  you  fellows,"  Peter  said,  "we've  got  to 
rescue  these  two  young  chaps  out  of  the  hands  ol 
the  Yankees.  Them  who  don't  want  to  jine,  and 
mind  3Tou  the  venture  is  a  risky  one,  had  better  say 
so  at  once  and  stop  behind." 

No  one  moved. 

"  What  I  propose  is  this :  we'll  take  the  ferry 
boat,  which  ain't  no  good  to  no  one  seeing  as  how 
the  Yankees  are  one  side  of  the  river  and  we  the 
other,  and  we'll  drop  down  the  stream  about  ten 
mile.  Then  we'll  land  on  their  side  of  the  river  and 
strike  inland,  hiding  the  boat  under  the  bushes 
somewhere.  They'll  halt  for  the  night  when  they're 
safe  across  the  river.  There's  fi  ve  or  six  hundred  of 
their  infantry  camped  on  the  ford.  There's  two 
hundred  on  our  side,  but  the  Yankees'll  ride  through 
in  the  dark  and  get  across  before  the  red-coats  are 
awake.  Now,  I  propose  that  after  we've  landed  we 
make  a  sweep  round  until  we  get  near  the  Yanks' 
camp.  Then  the  rest'll  wait  and  two  or  three  of 
[  us'll  go  in  and  see  if  we  can't  get  the  young  fellows 
out  of  wharever  they've  put  'em.  Then  we'll  jine 
you  and  make  a  running  tight  of  it  back  to  the 
boat." 

The  others  assented.  The  boat  was  amply  large 
enough  for  all,  and  pulling  her  out  into  the  stream 
they  dropped  down,  keeping  under  shelter  of  the 
trees  on  the  British  side.  Half  an  hour  after  they 
had  started  they  heard  the  faint  sound  of  distant 
musketry. 


212  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  There,"  Peter  said,  "  the  Yanks  are  riding 
through  the  British  camp,  close  to  the  ford." 

A  few  more  shots  were  heard  and  then  all  was 
silent.  The  stream  was  swift,  for  it  was  swollen  by 
recent  rains,  and  at  three  in  the  morning  the  boat 
touched  the  bank  about  a  mile  above  the  ford. 
The  party  disembarked  noiselessly,  and  fastening 
the  boat  to  a  tree  moved  along  toward  the  camp. 

When  they  were  within  four  or  five  hun- 
dred yards  of  the  village  Peter  chose  Jake  and 
two  others  of  his  band,  and  telling  the  rest  to  re- 
main where  they  were,  ready  for  action,  he  struck 
inland.  He  made  a  detour  and  came  in  at  the  back 
of  the  camp. 

Here  there  were  no  sentries,  as  the  only  danger 
to  be  apprehended  was  upon  the  side  of  the  river. 
Peter  therefore  entered  boldly.  In  front  of  the 
principal  house  a  sentry  was  walking  up  and  down, 
and  he,  in  the  free-and-easy  manner  usual  in  the 
American  army,  gladly  entered  into  conversation 
with  the  new-comers. 

"All  pretty  quiet  about  here?"  Peter  asked. 
"  We're  from  the  West,  and  have  jest  come  down 
to  do  a  little  fighting  with  the  Britishers.  I  reckon 
they  ain't  far  off  now  ?" 

"  They  are  just  across  the  river,"  the  sentry  said. 
"  Have  you  come  far  ?" 

"  We've  made  something  like  two  hundred  mile 
this  week,  and  mean  to  have  a  day  or  two's  rest  be- 
fore we  begin.  We've  done  some  Injun  fighting, 
my  mates  and  me,  in  our  time,  and  we  says  to  our- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

selves  it  was  about  time  we  burned  a  little  powder 
against  the  red-coats.  Things  seem  quiet  enough 
about  here.  Nothing  doing,  eh  ?" 

"  Not  much,"  the  sentry  said ;  "  just  skirmishes. 
Some  of  our  cavalry  came  across  through  the  red- 
coats late  to-night.  I  hear  they  have  got  a  quantity 
of  plunder  and  some  fine  horses,  and  they  have 
brought  in  a  couple  of  the  British  scouts," 

"And  what  have  they  done  with  'em?"  Peter 
asked.  "  Strung  'em  up,  I  suppose." 

"No,  no;  we  ain't  fighting  Indians  now;  we 
don't  hang  our  prisoners.  No,  they  are  safe  under 
guard  over  there  in  the  cavalry  camp,  and  will  be 
taken  to  headquarters  to-morrow." 

"  "Waal,"  Peter  said,  stretching  himself,  "  I  feel 
mighty  tired  and  shall  jest  look  for  a  soft  place  for 
an  hour's  sleep  before  morning." 

So  saying  he  sauntered  away,  and  the  sentry 
resumed  his  walk. 

Peter  and  his  three  companions  now  moved  off 
toward  the  spot  where,  as  the  sentry  had  indicated, 
the  cavalry  were  encamped.  They  were  not  in 
tents,  but  were  sleeping  wrapped  up  in  their 
blankets.  Two  tents  had  been  erected,  lent  prob- 
ably by  the  infantry  on  the  spot.  One  was  much 
larger  than  the  other  and  sentries  were  placed  be- 
fore each.  They  had  some  difficulty  in  making 
their  way,  for  the  night  was  dark  and  the  cavalry 
had  picketed  their  horses  without  order  or  regu- 
larity. In  their  search  they  had  to  use  great 
caution  to  avoid  stumbling  over  the  sleeping  men, 


214  TRUE  TO  THtfOLD  FLAG. 

but  at  last  they  saw  the  tents  faintly  against  the 
sky.  They  crawled  cautiously  up.  There  were  two 
sentries  on  the  smaller  tent. 

;  "  Now,  Jake,"  Peter  whispered,  "  you're  the 
blackest  and  so  had  better  do  the  trick.  Don't  cut 
a  hole  in  the  tent,  for  they'd  be  safe  to  hear  the 
canvas  tear.  Crawl  under.  It's  been  put  up  in 
haste  and  ain't  likely  to  be  pinned  down  very  tight. 
They're  safe  to  be  bound,  and  when  you've  cut  the 
cords  and  given  them  time  to  get  the  use  of  their 
feet,  then  crawl  along  and  jine  us." 

Jake  did  as  he  was  instructed.  One  of  the 
sentries  was  pacing  up  and  down  before  the  en- 
trance, the  other  making  a  circuit  round  the  tent. 
The  circle  was  a  somewhat  large  one  to  avoid 
stumbling  over  the  tent  ropes.  Jake,  watching  his 
opportunity,  had  no  difficulty  in  crawling  up  and 
squeezing  himself  under  the  canvas  before  the 
sentry  returned. 

"  Hush !"  he  whispered  as  he  let  the  canvas  fall 
behind  him.  "  It's  Jake." 

Both  the  captives  were  fast  asleep.  Jake,  feeling 
about  in  the  darkness,  found  them  one  after  the 
other,  and  putting  his  hands  on  their  mouths  to 
prevent  them  making  an  exclamation  he  woke  them, 
and  soon  cut  the  cords  with  which  they  were  bound 
hand  and  foot.  Then  in  whispers  he  told  them 
what  had  happened.  They  chafed  their  limbs  to 
produce  circulation,  for  they  had  been  tightly  tied, 
and  then  one  by  one  they  crawled  out  of  the  tent. 

Harvey  went  first  and  was  safely  across  before 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  215 

the  sentry  returned.  Harold  followed,  but  as  he 
went  in  his  hurry  he  struck  a  tent  rope. 

"What's  that?"  the  sentry  in  front  asked  sharp- 
ly. "  Bill,  was  that  you  2" 

"No,"  his  comrade  replied.  "Something's  up. 
Look  into  the  tent." 

And  so  saying  he  ran  round  behind,  while  the 
sentry  in  front  rushed  into  the  tent  and,  kicking 
about  with  his  feet,  soon  found  that  it  was  empty. 

Jake,  on  hearing  the  exclamation,  at  once  crawled 
from,  the  tent,  but  as  he  did  so  the  sentry,  running 
round,  saw  him  and  leveled  his  rifle.  Before  he 
could  fire  a  shot  was  heard  and  the  man  fell  dead. 

Jake  started  to  his  feet  and  joined  his  friends. 
The  other  sentry  also  discharged  his  rifle,  and  the 
whole  camp  awoke  and  sprang  to  their  feet.  The 
horses,  alarmed  at  the  sudden  tumult,  plunged  and 
kicked ;  men  shouted  and  swore,  every  one  asking 
what  was  the  matter.  Then  loud  cries  were  heard 
that  the  sentry  was  shot  and  the  prisoners  had 
escaped. 

Running  closely  together  and  knocking  down  all 
I  who  stood  in  their  way,  the  fugitives  hurried  in  the 
darkness  until  at  the  edge  of  the  camp  and  then 
started  at  full  speed. 

The  trumpets  were  now  sounding  to  horse  and 
several  shots  were  fired  after  them.  Many  of  the 
horses  had  not  been  unsaddled  and  mounted  men  at 
once  dashed  off.  Several  had  seen  the  little  party 
rush  away,  and  the  horsemen  were  speedily  on  their 
track.  The  six  men  ran  at  the  top  of  their  speed 
and  were  soon  close  to  their  hidden  frienda. 


216  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"This  way!  this  way!  I  see  them!"  shouted  a 
voice,  which  Harold  and  Harvey  recognized  as  that 
of  their  enemy,  who  a  minute  later  galloped  up  with 
half  a  dozen  troopers.  It  was  not  until  he  was 
within  a  few  yards  that  his  figure  was  clearly  dis- 
cernible; then  Peter  Lambton's  rifle  flashed  out 
and  the  planter  fell  from  his  horse  with  a  bullet  in 
his  brain. 

Jake  and  the  other  two  men  also  fired,  and  the 
horsemen,  astonished  at  their  number,  reined  in 
their  horses  to  await  the  coming  up  of  more  of 
their  comrades. 

In  another  minute  the  fugitives  were  with  their 
friends,  and  at  a  rapid  trot  the  whole  ran  up  the 
river  bank  toward  the  spot  where  they  had  hidden 
their  boat. 

The  country  was  covered  with  brushwood  and 
forest,  and  as  the  cavalry,  now  swollen  to  a  consid- 
erable force,  advanced,  they  were  greeted  by  so 
heavy  a  fire  that,  astonished  at  this  strong  force  of 
foes  upon  their  side  of  the  river  and  not  knowing 
how  numerous  they  might  be,  they  halted  and 
waited  for  the  infantry  to  come  up.  Long  before 
the  enemy  were  prepared  to  advance  against  the 
unknown  foe  the  scouts  reached  their  boat  and 
crossed  in  safety  to  the  other  side. 

Shortly  after  this  adventure  Mr.  Jackson  and  his 
family  moved  for  the  winter  to  New  York,  where 
soon  after  their  arrival  the  wedding  between  Har- 
vey and  Isabelle  took  place,  the  former  retiring 
from  the  corps  of  scouts. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   CAPTURE   OF   PHILADELPHIA. 

DURING  the  course  of  the  spring  of  1777  a  large  num* 
ber  of  loyal  colonists  had  volunteered  their  services. 
They  had  been  embodied  into  battalions,  and  when 
the  army  prepared  to  take  the  field  they  were 
placed  in  garrisons  in  New  York  and  other  places, 
thus  permitting  the  employment  of  the  whole  of 
the  British  force  in  the  field.  The  Americans  had 
occupied  themselves  in  strongly  fortifying  the 
iflore  defensible  positions,  especially  those  in  a 
mountain  tract  of  country  called  the  Manor  of 
Courland.  This  was  converted  into  a  sort  of 
citadel,  where  large  quantities  of  provisions,  forage, 
and  stores  of  all  kinds  were  collected.  About  fifty 
miles  from  New  York,  up  the  North  River,  was  a 
place  called  Peekskill,  which  served  as  a  port  to  the 
Manor  of  Courland.  The  country  was  so  difficult 
and  mountainous  that  General  Howe  shrank  from 
engaging  his  army  in  it.  He  determined,  however, 
to  attack  and  destroy  Peekskill,  and  a  party  of  five 
hundred  men,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Bird, 
of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment,  were  sent  up  the  rivei 
in  two  transports  to  destroy  it.  The  garrison,  con- 
sisting of  eight  hundred  men,  set  fire  to  the  place 


218  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

and  withdrew  without  firing  a  shot.  The  British 
completed  the  destruction  of  the  stores  and  returned 
to  New  York. 

A  little  later  two  thousand  men  were  sent  on  a 
similar  expedition  against  the  town  of  Danbury, 
another  place  on  the  confines  of  Courland  Manor, 
where  great  stores  had  also  been  collected.  They 
proceeded  up  the  East  River  and  landed  at  Camp's 
Point.  They  started  on  foot  at  ten  o'clock  at  night, 
and  after  a  ten  hours'  march  arrived  at  eight  o'clock 
at  Danbury.  The  enemy  evacuated  the  place  on 
their  approach,  and  the  English  set  fire  to  the  great 
magazines  filled  with  stores  of  all  kinds. 

The  news  of  the  march  of  the  English  had  spread 
rapidly,  and  the  enemy  assembled  from  all  quarters 
and  posted  themselves  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Arnold  at  a  town  called  Ridgefield,  through 
which  the  English  would  have  to  pass  on  their  re- 
turn. Here  they  threw  up  intrenchments.  It  was 
late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  English,  fatigued 
with  the  long  march,  arrived  at  this  spot.  The}7 
did  not  hesitate,  but  when  the  Americans  opened 
fire  they  boldly  assailed  the  intrenchments  and  car- 
ried them  with  the  bayonet.  They  were  unable  to 
march  further,  and  lying  down  so  as  to  form  an 
oblong  square,  slept  till  morning.  All  night  the 
Americans  continued  to  come  up  in  great  force,  and 
in  the  morning  as  the  troops  advanced  a  terrible 
fire  was  opened  upon  them  from  the  houses  and 
stone  walls  in  which  the  country  abounded.  The 
British  had  to  fight  every  foot  of  their  way.  Gen- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  219 

eral  Wooster  had  brought  up  some  field-artillery  on 
the  side  of  the  Americans.  Gradually  the  column 
fought  its  way  forward  until  it  arrived  within  half 
a  mile  of  Camp's  Point.  Here  two  strong  bodies  of 
the  enemy  barred  their  way.  The  column  were  by 
this  time  greatly  exhausted  ;  the  men  had  had  no 
real  rest  for  three  days  and  two  nights  and  several 
dropped  on  the  road  with  fatigue.  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Erskine  picked  out  four  hundred  of  those  who 
were  in  the  best  condition  and  attacked  the  two 
bodies  of  the  enemy  with  such  vigor  that  he  put 
them  utteiJy  to  flight,  and  the  column  again  ad- 
vancing reached  their  destination  without  further 
molestation.  Nearly  two  hundred  men,  including 
ten  officers,  were  killed  and  wounded  on  the  part  of 
the  British  ;  the  loss  of  the  Americans  was  still 
greater,  and  General  Wooster  and  some  field-officers 
were  among  the  slain. 

Many  other  skirmishes  took  place  with  varied 
success.  The  Americans  at  Bond  wick,  seven  miles 
from  Brunswick,  twelve  hundred  in  number,  were 
surprised  and  routed  by  Corn  wall  is,  while  on  the 
other  hand  the  American  Colonel  Meigs  carried  out 
a  most  dashing  expedition  by  crossing  to  Long 
Island  and  destroying  quantity  of  stores  at  a  place 
called  Sag  Harbor,  burning  a  dozen  brigs  and  sloops 
which  lay  there,  taking  ninety  prisoners,  and  re- 
turning safely  across  the  sound. 

In  June  "Washington  with  eight  thousand  men 
was  encamped  in  a  strong  position  at  Middlebrook. 
General  Howe,  although  he  had  thirty  thousand 


220  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

men,  hesitated  to  attack  him  here.  By  a  feigned 
retreat  he  succeeded  in  drawing  General  Washing- 
ton from  his  stronghold  and  inflicted  a  decisive  de- 
feat on  three  thousand  of  his  men.  Washington 
fell  back  to  his  position  in  the  mountains,  and  Gen- 
eral Howe  retired  altogether  from  Jersey  and  with- 
drew his  troops  to  Staten  Island.  A  dashing  feat 
was  executed  at  this  time  by  Colonel  Barton,  of  the 
American  army.  Learning  that  General  Prescott, 
who  commanded  at  Rhode  Island,  had  his  head- 
quarters at  a  distance  of  a  mile  from  his  troops,  he 
crossed  from  the  mainland  in  two  boats,  seized  the 
general  in  his  bed,  and  carried  him  off  through  the 
British  fleet.  The  object  of  this  dashing  enterprise 
was  to  obtain  a  general  to  exchange  for  the  Ameri- 
can General  Lee,  who  had  been  captured  by  the 
British. 

General  Howe,  in  June,  again  marched  against 
Washington  and  again  fell  back  without  doing  any- 
thing. Had  he,  instead  of  thus  frittering  away  his 
strength,  marched  to  the  Delaware,  crossed  that 
river,  and  advanced  against  Philadelphia,  Washing- 
ton would  have  been  forced  to  leave  his  stronghold 
and  either  fight  in  the  open  or  allow  that  important 
city  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  English. 

General  Howe  now  embarked  his  army  in  trans- 
ports. Had  he  sailed  up  the  North  River  to  Albany 
he  would  have  effected  a  junction  with  General 
Burgoyne's  army,  which  was  advancing  from  Can- 
ada, and  with  the  united  force  could  have  marched 
through  America  from  end  to  end  as  he  chose.  In 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  221 

stead  of  doing  so  he  sailed  down  to  Chesapeake  Bay 
and  there  disembarked  the  whole  army,  which  had 
been  pent  up  in  transports  from  July  3  to  August 
24.  Not  till  September  11  did  they  advance  in  ear- 
nest toward  Philadelphia.  The  Americans  thus  had 
ample  time  to  take  up  a  strong  position  and  fortify 
it.  This  they  did  on  the  other  side  of  Brandy  wine 
Creek.  Under  cover  of  a  cannonade  the  British  ad- 
vanced, mastered  the  fort,  and  carried  the  intrench-  \ 
ments.  General  Sullivan,  with  a  considerable  force, 
had  now  arrived,  accompanied  by  General  Wash- 
ington himself.  He  took  up  his  position  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  Brandy  wine,  his  artillery  well  placed 
and  his  flanks  covered  with  woods. 

The  following  afternoon  the  British  attacked. 
The  Americans  fought  well,  but  the  British  were 
not  to  be  denied,  and  rushing  forward  drove  the 
enemy  from  their  position  into  the  woods  in  their 
rear.  Here  they  made  a  stand  and  were  only  dis- 
lodged after  a  desperate  resistance.  The  greater 
portion  of  them  fled  in  all  directions.  Washington 
himself,  with  his  guns  and  a  small  force,  retreated 
eight  miles  from  Chester  and  then  marched  by 
Derby  to  Philadelphia.  Here  he  waited  three  da}rs 
rallying  his  troops,  and  then  having  recruited  his 
stores  from  the  magazines,  marched  away. 

All  this  time  the  British  remained  inactive  on  the 
ground  they  had  won.  In  the  battle  the  Americans 
lost  three  hundred  killed,  six  hundred  wounded,  and 
four  hundred  prisoners.  Several  guns  were  also 
taken.  The  British  lost  one  hundred  killed  and  four 
hundred  wounded. 


222  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

On  September  20  they  advanced  toward  Phila- 
delphia. The  American  General  Wayne  had  con- 
cealed himself  in  the  woods  with  fifteen  hundred 
men,  with  the  intention  of  harassing  the  rear  of  the 
British  army.  News  of  this  having  been  obtained, 
Major-General  Grey  was  dispatched  at  once  to  sur- 
prise him  ;  he  ordered  his  men  not  to  load,  but  to 
rely  wholly  on  the  bayonet.  The  success  of  the  ex- 
pedition was  complete.  General  Wayne's  outpost 
was  surprised  and  the  British  troops  rushed  into  his 
encampment.  Three  hundred  of  the  Americans 
were  killed  or  wounded  and  one  hundred  taken 
prisoners.  The  rest  escaped  through  the  woods. 
On  the  English  side  one  officer  was  killed  and 
seven  privates  killed  and  wounded. 

The  capture  of  Philadelphia  was  an  important 
advantage  to  the  British,  but  it  could  not  be  thor- 
oughly utilized  until  the  fleet  could  come  up  the 
river  to  the  town.  The  American  Congress,  which 
had  sat  at  Philadelphia  until  General  Howe  ap- 
proached the  town,  had  taken  extensive  measures 
for  rendering  the  passage  impracticable.  Three 
rows  of  chevaux-de-frise,  composed  of  immense 
beams  of  timber  bolted  and  fastened  together  and 
stuck  with  iron  spikes,  were  sunk  across  the  chan- 
nel, and  these  lines  were  protected  by  batteries. 
At  these  forts  were  fourteen  large  row-boats,  each 
carrying  a  heavy  cannon,  two  floating  batteries 
carrying  nine  guns  each,  and  a  number  of  fire-ships 
and  rafts. 

The  forts  commanding  the  chevaux-de-frise  were 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  223 

abandoned  on  the  approach  of  the  British,  and  Cap- 
tain Hammond,  of  the  Roebuck,  succeeded,  in  spite 
of  the  opposition  of  the  enemy's  boats  and  batteries, 
in  making  an  opening  through  the  chevaux-de-frise 
sufficiently  wide  for  the  fleet  to  pass. 

Large  numbers  of  troops  having  been  sent  away 
from  Germantown,  a  place  seven  miles  from  Phila- 
delphia, where  the  main  body  of  the  British  army 
were  posted,  General  Washington  determined  to 
attempt  the  surprise  of  that  position.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  reenforced  his  army  by  drawing  fifteen 
hundred  troops  from  Peekskill  and  one  thousand 
from  Virginia,  and  at  daybreak  on  October  4, 
under  cover  of  a  thick  fog,  he  made  an  attack  on 
the  troops  posted  at  the  head  of  the  village. 

Half  of  the  British  force  lay  on  one  side  of  the 
village  and  half  on  the  other,  and  had  the  attack 
upon  the  place  succeeded  the  British  army  would 
have  been  cut  in  two.  The  village  was  held  by  the 
Fortieth  Regiment,  who,  fighting  obstinately,  were 
driven  back  among  the  houses.  The  Americans 
were  pushing  forward  in  five  heavy  columns,  when 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Musgrave,  who  commanded  the 
Fortieth,  threw  himself  into  a  large  stone  house. 
Here  he  offered  a  desperate  resistance,  and  so  im- 
peded the  advance  of  the  enemy  that  time  was 
given  for  the  rest  of  the  British  troops  to  get  under 
arms. 

General  "Washington  ordered  a  whole  brigade  of 
infantry  to  attack  the  house  and  turned  four  guns 
against  it.  Colonel  Musgrave  and  his  men  resisted 


224  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

desperately  and  held  the  post  until  Major-General 
Grey,  with  the  third  brigade,  and  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Agnew,  with  the  fourth  brigade,  came  up  and 
attacked  the  enemy  with  great  spirit.  The  engage- 
ment was  for  some  time  very  hot.  At  length  a 
part  of  the  right  wing  fell  upon  the  enemy's  flank, 
and  the  Americans  retired  with  great  precipitation. 
The  fog  was  so  dense  that  no  pursuit  could  be 
attempted. 

On  the  part  of  thb  English  six  hundred  were 
killed  and  wounded.  The  loss  of  the  Americans 
amounted  to  between  two  and  three  hundred  killed, 
six  hundred  wounded,  and  four  hundred  taken 
prisoners.  General  Howe  had  on  the  previous 
night  been  acquainted  with  the  intention  of  Gen- 
eral Washington  to  attack  the  place,  and  had  he 
taken  the  proper  measures  to  have  received  them 
the  American  army  would  have  been  destroyed. 
He  took  no  measures  whatever,  gave  no  warning  to 
the  army,  and  suffered  the  camp  to  be  taken  by 
surprise. 

Aftor  this  battle  the  fleet  and  army  united, 
cleared  away  the  chevaux-de-frise  across  the  Dela- 
ware, and  took  the  forts  commanding  them  after 
some  hard  fighting. 

The  passage  of  the  Delaware  being  thus  opened 
and  the  water  communication  secured,  the  army 
went  to  their  winter  quarters  at  Philadelphia. 

Captain  Wilson  and  his  son  had  taken  no  part  in 
any  of  these  operations,  as  a  short  time  after  the 
capture  of  Harold  and  Harvey  by  the  American 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  225 

cavalry  the  company  had  been  disbanded.  The 
men  when  they  entered  the  service  had  volunteered 
for  a  year.  This  time  already  had  been  greatly 
exceeded — twenty  months  had  passed  since  the 
battle  of  Bunker's  Hill — and  although  the  men 
were  willing  to  continue  to  give  their  services  so 
long  as  it  appeared  to  them  that  there  was  a  pros- 
pect of  a  favorable  terminatior  of  the  war,  no  such 
hope  any  longer  remained  in  their  minds.  The 
great  army  which  England  had  sent  over  had  done 
nothing  to \\ard  restoring  '.lr  king's  authority  in  the 
colonies,  and  if  after  a  year'  fighting  its  outposts 
were  still  within  a  few  miles  of  New  York,  how 
could  it  be  expected  or  evrn  hoped  that  it  could 
ever  subdue  a  country  containing  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  square  miles  ?  The  retreat  from  the 
Delaware  and  the  virtual  handing  over  of  New 
Jersey  again  to  Washington  was  the  finishing 
stroke  which  decided  the  volunteers  to  demand 
their  discharge,  according  to  the  terms  of  their 
engagement.  Except  during  the  Canadian  cam- 
paign they  had  had  but  little  fighting,  nor  in  such  a 
warfare  as  that  which  General  Howe  was  carrying 
on  was  there  much  scope  for  their  services.  Many 
of  the  gentlemen  who  formed  the  majority  of  the 
company,  and  who  for  tha  most  part  had  friends 
and  connections  in  England,  sailed  for  that  country  ; 
some  had  left  wives  and  families  on  their  estates 
when  they  took  up  arms ;  and  most  of  them,  de- 
spairing of  the  final  success  of  the  war,  had  instruct- 
ed their  agents  to  sell  these  estates  for  any  sum  that 


226  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

they  would  fetch ;  others — among  them  Captain 
Wilson — now  followed  their  example.  It  was  but  a 
mere  tithe  of  the  value  of  the  property  that  was 
obtained,  for  money  was  scarce  in  the  colonies,  and 
so  many  had  sold  out  and  gone  to  England,  rather 
than  take  part  on  one  side  or  the  other  of  the 
fratricidal  strife,  that  land  and  houses  fetched  but 
nominal  prices. 

Mrs.  Wilson  had  long  since  gone  to  England,  and 
her  husband,  having  made  arrangements  for  the 
disposal  of  his  property,  now  determined  to  join 
her.  Fortunately  he  possessed  means  irrespective 
of  his  estate  in  America.  This  had  come  to  him 
through  his  wife,  and  his  own  fortune  and  the 
money  obtained  by  the  sale  of  his  commission  had 
remained  invested  in  English  securities.  While 
determined  on  this  course  for  himself,  he  left  it  to 
his  son  to  choose  his  own  career.  Harold  was 
now  nearly  eighteen,  and  his  life  of  adventure  and 
responsibility  had  made  a  man  of  him.  His  father 
would  have  preferred  that  he  should  have  returned 
with  him  to  England,  but  Harold  finally  decided 
upon  remaining.  In  war  men's  passions  become 
heated,  the  original  cause  of  quarrel  sinks  into 
comparative  insignificance,  and  the  desire  for  vic- 
tory, the  determination  to  resist,  and  a  feeling  of 
something  like  individual  hatred  for  the  enemy 
become  predominant  motives  of  the  strife. 

This  was  especially  the  case  in  the  American  war. 
On  both  sides  there  were  many  circumstances  which 
heightened  the  passions  of  the  combatants.  The 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  227 

loyalists  in  the  English  ranks  had  been  ruined  by 
the  action  of  their  opponents — many  had  been 
reduced  from  wealth  to  poverty,  and  each  man  felt 
a  deep  passion  of  resentment  at  what  he  regarded 
his  personal  grievance.  Then,  too,  the  persistent 
misrepresentations  both  of  facts  and  motives  on  the 
part  of  the  American  writers  and  speakers  added  to 
the  irritation.  The  loyalists  felt  that  there  were  vast 
numbers  throughout  the  colonies  who  agreed  with 
them  and  regarded  Congress  as  a  tyrannical  faction 
rather  than  the  expression  of  the  general  will.  In 
this,  no  doubt,  they  were  to  some  extent  mistaken, 
for  by  this  time  the  vast  majority  of  the  people  had 
joined  heart  and  soul  in  the  conflict.  Men's  passions 
had  become  so  stirred  up  that  it  was  difficult  for 
any  to  remain  neutral ;  and  although  there  were 
still  large  numbers  of  loyalists  throughout  the 
States,  the  vast  bulk  of  the  people  had  resolved 
that  the  only  issue  of  the  contest  was  complete  and 
entii  3  separation  from  the  mother  country. 

Harold  had  now  entered  passionately  into  the 
struggle.  He  was  in  constant  contact  with  men  who 
had  been  ruined  by  the  war.  He  heard  only  one  side 
of  the  question,  and  he  was  determined,  so  long  as 
England  continued  the  struggle,  to  fight  on  for  a 
cause  which  he  considered  sacred.  He  was  unable 
to  regard  the  prospects  of  success  as  hopeless  ;  he 
saw  the  fine  army  which  England  had  'collected ; 
he  had  been  a  witness  of  the  defeat  of  the 
Americans  whenever  they  ventured  to  stand  the 
shock  of  the  British  battalions ;  and  in  spite  of  the 


228  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

unsatisfactory  nature  of  the  first  campaign,  he  could 
not  bring  himself  to  believe  that  such  an  army  could 
fail. 

When  the  company  was  disbanded  he  decided  to 
continue  to  serve  as  a  scout,  but,  sharing  in  the 
general  disgust  in  the  army  at  the  incapacity  of 
General  Howe,  he  determined  to  take  ship  again 
for  Canada  and  take  service  under  General  Bur- 
goyne,  who  was  preparing  with  a  well-appointed 
army  to  invade  the  States  from  that  side. 

When  he  communicated  his  determination  to 
Peter  Lambton  the  latter  at  once  agreed  to  accom- 
pany him. 

"  I've  gone  into  this  business,"  the  hunter  said, 
"  and  I  mean  to  see  it  through.  Settling  down  don't 
suit  me.  I  ain't  got  any  friends  at  New  York,  and 
I'd  be  miserable  just  loafing  about  all  day  doing 
nothing.  No,  I'll  see  this  business  out  to  the  3nd, 
and  I'd  much  rather  go  with  you  than  any  one 
else." 

Jake  was  of  the  same  opinion.  Accustomed  all 
his  life  to  obey  orders  and  to  the  life  on  his  master's 
plantation,  he  would  not  have  known  what  to  do  if 
left  to  his  own  devices.  Captain  Wilson  pointed 
out  to  him  that  he  could  easily  obtain  work  on  the 
wharves  of  New  York  or  as  a  laborer  on  a  farm, 
but  Jake  would  not  listen  to  the  proposal  and  was 
hurt  at  the  thought  that  he  could  leave  his  young 
master's  side  as  long  as  Harold  continued  in  the 
war. 

Accordingly  the  day  after  Captain  Wilson  sailed 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

for  England  the  three  comrades  embarked  in  a  ship 
for  Halifax,  whence  another  vessel  took  them  to 
Quebec.  They  then  sailed  up  the  river  to  Montreal 
and  took  service  as  scouts  in  General  Burgoyne's 
army. 

For  political  reasons  General  Burgoyne  had  been 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  expedition  which 
had  been  prepared,  and  General  Carleton,  naturally 
offended  at  being  passed  over,  at  once  resigned  the 
governorship.  His  long  residence  in  Canada,  his 
knowledge  of  the  country,  of  the  manners  of  its 
inhabitants  and  the  extent  of  its  resources,  and  his 
acquaintance  with  the  character  of  the  Indians, 
rendered  him  far  more  fit  for  command  than  was 
General  Burgoyne.  In  military  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience, too,  he  was  his  superior,  and  had  he 
retained  a  command  the  fate  of  the  expedition 
would  probably  have  been  very  different. 

The  army  under  General  Burgoyne  consisted 
of  seven  thousand  one  hundred  and  seventy-three 
men,  exclusive  of  artillerymen.  Of  these  about 
half  were  Germans.  The  Canadians  were  called 
upon  to  furnish  men  sufficient  to  occupy  the 
woods  on  the  frontier  and  to  provide  men  for  the 
completion  of  the  fortifications  at  Sorel,  St.  John's, 
Chamblee,  and  Isle-aux-Koix,  to  furnish  horses  and 
carts  for  carriage,  and  to  make  roads  when  neces- 
sary. A  naval  force  was  to  go  forward  with  him 
on  the  lake.  The  Indian  question  had  again  to  be 
decided.  Several  tribes  volunteered  to  join  the 
British.  General  Burgoyne  hesitated,  as  General 


230  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Carleton  had  done  before,  to  accept  their  services, 
and  only  did  so  finally  on  the  certainty  that  if  he 
refused  their  offers  they  would  join  the  Americans. 
He  resolved  to  use  them  as  little  as  possible.  He 
knew  that  their  object  in  all  wars  was  murder  and 
destruction,  and  although  he  wished  to  conquer  the 
Americans,  he  did  not  desire  to  exterminate  them. 

On  June  16,  1777,  General  Burgoyne  advanced 
from  St.  John's.  The  naval  force  had  preceded  the 
army  and  opened  a  way  for  its  advance.  The 
troops  were  carried  in  a  flotilla  of  boats,  and  under 
the  protection  of  the  fleet  passed  Lake  Champlain 
and  landed  at  Crown  Point. 

Harold  and  his  companions  had  joined  the  army  a 
fortnight  previously,  and  as  they  crossed  the  lake 
with  the  fleet  they  could  not  but  remember  their 
last  expedition  there.  At  Crown  Point  they  were 
joined  by  one  thousand  Indians,  who  marched  round 
the  lake,  and  at  this  place  General  Burgoyne  gave 
them  a  great  feast  and  afterward  made  a  speech  to 
them,  exhorting  them  to  abstain  from  all  cruelty,  to 
avoid  any  ill-treatment  of  unarmed  combatants,  and 
to  take  as  prisoners  all  combatants  who  fell  into 
their  hands. 

But  while  thus  exhorting  the  Indians  to  behave 
with  humanity  and  moderation,  the  general  took  a 
most  ill-judged  step,  which  not  only  did  the  English 
cause  great  harm,  but  was  used  by  the  Americans 
with  much  effect  as  a  proof  of  the  cruel  way  in 
which  England  warred  against  the  colonists.  He 
issued  a  proclamation,  threatening  to  punish  with 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  231 

the  utmost  severity  all  who  refused  to  attach  them- 
selves to  the  British  cause,  and  at  the  same  time  he 
magnified  the  ferocity  of  the  Indians,  pointing  out 
with  great  emphasis  their  eagerness  to  butcher 
those  who  continued  hostile  to  the  mother  country, 
whose  interests  they  had  espoused. 

This  proclamation  was  naturally  construed  by  the 
Americans  as  a  threat  to  deliver  over  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  Indians  to  slay,  scalp,  and  destroy  all 
who  ventured  to  resist  the  authority  of  the  king. 

The  Americans  had  fallen  back  on  the  approach 
of  the  British,  and  upo  the  landing  being  effected 
the  scouts  were  instantly  sent  forward. 

Among  the  Indians  who  had  joined  at  Crown 
Point  were  the  Senecas — among  them  their  old 
friend  Deer  Tail. 

The  scouts  received  no  particular  orders  and  were 
free  to  regulate  their  own  movements.  Their  duty 
was  to  reconnoiter  the  country  ahead  and  to  bring 
in  any  information  they  might  gather  as  to  numbers 
and  position  of  the  enemy. 

Finding  that  Peter  and  his  companions  were 
about  to  start,  Deer  Tail  said  that  instead  of  waiting 
for  the  feast  he  would  take  five  of  his  warriors  and 
accompany  them. 

It  was  at  Ticonderoga  that  the  Americans  had 
prepared  to  make  their  first  stand.  The  place  lies 
on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake  a  few  miles  to  the 
northward  of  the  narrow  inlet  uniting  Lake  Cham- 
plain  to  Lake  George.  It  was  to  reconnoiter  the 
fort  that  the  party  now  set  out.  News  had  been 


232  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

brought  that  the  Americans  had  been  executing 
great  additional  works,  and  the  British  general  was 
anxious  to  learn  the  nature  of  these  before  he  ad- 
vanced. 

It  was  certain  that  the  enemy  would  on  their  side 
have  sent  out  scouts  to  ascertain  the  movements  of 
the  royal  army,  and  the  party  proceeded  with  the 
greatest  care.  They  marched  in  the  usual  fashion — 
in  Indian  file ;  the  Seneca  chief  led  the  way,  fol- 
lowed by  one  of  his  braves  ;  then  came  Peter,  Harold, 
and  Jake  ;  the  other  Senecas  marched  in  the  rear. 

When  they  came  within  a  few  miles  of  the  fort 
their  progress  was  marked  with  profound  caution. 
Not  a  word  was  spoken,  their  tread  was  noiseless, 
and  the  greatest  pains  were  taken  to  avoid  stepping 
on  a  twig  dried  stick.  The  three  scouts  when 
they  left  S1  ohn's  had  abandoned  their  boots  and 
had  taken  to  Indian  moccasins.  Several  times 
slight  murmurs  were  heard  in  the  forest,  and  once 
a  party  of  four  American  frontiersmen  were  seen  in 
the  wood.  The  party  halted  and  crouched  in  the 
bushes.  The  Senecas  turned  toward  Peter  as  if 
asking  if  an  attack  should  be  made,  but  the  latter 
shook  his  head.  A  single  shot  would  have  been 
heard  far  away  in  the  woods  and  their  further  prog- 
ress would  have  been  arrested.  Their  object  now 
was  not  to  fight,  but  to  penetrate  close  to  the  Amer- 
ican intrenchments. 

When  the  enemy  had  passed  on  the  party  con- 
sinued  its  way.  As  they  neared  the  fort  the  caution 
observed  increased.  Several  times  they  halted, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  233 

while  the  Seneca,  with  one  of  his  braves,  crawled 
forward  to  see  that  all  was  clear.  At  last  they 
stood  on  the  edge  of  a  great  clearing.  Before  them, 
just  within  gun-shot  range,  stood  the  fort  of  Ticon- 
deroga.  Peter  Lambton  was  well  acquainted  with 
it,  and  beyond  the  fact  that  the  space  around  had 
been  cleared  of  all  trees  and  the  stockades  and 
earthworks  repaired,  little  change  could  be  seen. 

As  he  was  gazing  the  Indian  touched  his  shoulder 
and  pointed  to  a  high  hill  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  narrow  straits.  This  had  been  cleared  of 
trees  and  on  the  top  a  strong  fort  had  been  erected. 
Many  cannon  were  to  be  seen  along  its  crest,  the 
roofs  of  huts,  and  a  large  number  of  men.  Half- 
way up  the  hill  was  another  battery  and  a  third 
still  lower  down  to  sweep  the  landing. 

"  They've  been  working  hard,"  the  hunter  said, 
"  and  the  army '11  have  a  mighty  tough  job  before 
it.  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Harold  ?" 

"  It  is  a  very  strong  position,"  Harold  said,  "  and 
will  cost  us  a  tremendous  number  of  men  to  take  it. 
The  fort  cannot  be  attacked  till  that  hill  has  been 
carried,  for  its  guns  completely  command  all  this 
clearing." 

For  some  time  they  stood  gazing  at  the  works, 
standing  well  back  among  the  trees,  so  as  to  be 
screened  from  all  observation.  At  last  Harold  said  : 

"  Look  at  that  other  hill  behind.  It  is  a  good  bit 
higher  than  that  which  they  have  fortified  and  must 
be  within  easy  range  both  of  it  and  the  fort.  I 
don't  see  any  works  there — do  you  ?" 


234  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Peter  and  the  Seneca  chief  both  gazed  long  and 
earnestly  at  the  hill  and  agreed  that  they  could  see 
no  fortification  there. 

"  It  won't  do  to  have  any  doubt  about  it,"  Peter 
said.  "We  must  go  round  and  have  a  look  at  it." 

"  We  shall  have  to  cross  the  river,"  Harold  re- 
marked. 

"  Ay,  cross  it  we  must,"  Peter  said.  "  That  hill's 
got  to  be  inspected." 

They  withdrew  into  the  wood  again  and  made  a 
circuitous  deviation  till  they  came  down  upon  the 
river,  two  miles  above  Ticonderoga.  They  could 
not  reach  the  water  itself,  as  a  road  ran  along 
parallel  with  it  and  the  forest  was  cleared  away  for 
some  distance.  A  number  of  men  could  be  seen 
going  backward  and  forward  on  the  road. 

Having  made  their  observations,  the  scouts  re- 
tired again  into  a  thick  part  of  the  forest  and  waited 
till  nightfall. 

"How  are  we  to  get  across?"  Harold  asked 
Peter.  "  It's  a  good  long  swim,  and  we  could  not 
carry  our  muskets  and  ammunition  across." 

"Easy  enough,"  the  scout  said  "  Didn't  you 
notice  down  by  the  road  a  pile  of  planks  ?  I  suppose 
a  wagon  has  broke  down  there,  and  the  planks 
have  been  turned  out  and  nobody  has  thought  any- 
thing more  about  'em.  We'll  each  take  a  plank, 
fasten  our  rifle  and  ammunition  on  it,  and  swim 
across ;  there  won't  be  any  difficulty  about  that. 
Then  when  we've  seen  what's  on  the  top  of  that 
;ere  hill  we'll  tramp  round  to  the  other  end  of  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  235 

lake.  I  heard  that  the  army  was  to  advance  half 
on  each  side,  so  we'll  meet  'em  coming." 

When  it  was  perfectly  dark  they  left  their  hiding- 
place  and  crossed  the  clearing  to  the  spot  where 
Peter  had  seen  the  planks.  Each  took  one  of  them 
and  proceeded  to  the  river  side.  Peter,  Harold, 
and  Jake  divested  themselves  of  some  of  their 
clothes  and  fastened  these  with  their  rifles  and 
ammunition  to  the  planks.  To  the  Indians  the 
question  of  getting  wet  was  one  of  entire  indiffer- 
ence, and  they  did  not  even  take  off  their  hunting 
shirts.  Entering  the  water  the  party  swam  noise- 
lessly across  to  the  other  side,  pushing  their  planks 
before  them.  On  getting  out  they  carried  the 
planks  for  some  distance,  as  their  appearance  by 
the  water's  edge  might  excite  a  suspicion  on  the 
part  of  the  Americans  that  the  works  had  been  re- 
connoitered. 

After  hiding  the  planks  in  the  bushes  they  made 
their  way  to  Sugar  Hill,  as  the  eminence  was  called. 
The  ascent  was  made  with  great  circumspection, 
the  Indians  going  on  first.  No  signs  of  the 
enemy  were  met  with,  and  at  last  the  party  stood 
on  the  summit  of  the  hill.  It  was  entirely  unoccu- 
pied by  the  Americans. 

"Well,  my  fine  fellows,"  laughed  the  scout,  "I 
reckon  ye've  been  doing  a  grist  of  work,  and  ye 
might  jest  as  well  have  been  sitting  down  quietly 
smoking  yer  pipes.  What  on  arth  possessed  ye  to 
leave  this  hill  unguarded  ?" 

Tn  point  of  fact  General  St.  Clair,  who  commanded 


236  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  Americans,  had  perceived  that  his  position  was 
commanded  from  this  spot.  He  had  only  three 
thousand  men  under  him,  and  he  considered  this 
number  too  small  to  hold  Ticonderoga,  Mount  Inde- 
pendence, and  Sugar  Hill.  The  two  former  posts 
could  afford  no  assistance  to  the  garrison  of  a  fort 
placed  on  Sugar  Hill,  and  that  place  must  therefore 
fall  if  attacked  by  the  British.  On  the  other  hand, 
he  hoped  that  should  the  attention  of  the  English 
not  be  called  to  the  importance  of  the  position  by 
the  erection  of  works  upon  it,  it  might  be  over- 
looked, and  that  General  Burgoyne  on  his  arrival 
might  at  once  attack  the  position  which  he  had  pre- 
pared with  so  much  care. 

Having  ascertained  that  the  hill  was  unoccupied, 
Peter  proposed  at  once  to  continue  the  march. 
Harold  suggested  to  him  that  it  would  be  better  to 
wait  until  morning,  as  from  their  lofty  position 
they  would  be  able  to  overlook  the  whole  of  the 
enemy's  lines  of  defense  and  might  obtain  in  forma- 
tion of  vital  importance  to  the  general.  Peter  saw 
the  advantage  of  the  suggestion.  Two  of  the  In- 
dians were  placed  on  watch,  and  the  rest  of  the 
party  lay  down  to  sleep.  At  daybreak  they  saw 
that  the  delay  had  been  fully  justified,  for  they  had 
now  a  view  of  the  water  which  separated  Ticon- 
deroga from  Mount  Independence,  and  perceived 
that  the  Americans  had  made  a  strong  bridge  of 
communication  between  these  posts.  Twenty-two 
piers  had  been  sunk  at  equal  distances,  and  between 
them  boats  were  placed,  fastened  with  chains  to  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  237 

piers.  A  strong  bridge  of  planks  connected  the 
whole.  On  the  Lake  Champlain  side  of  the  bridge 
a  boom,  composed  of  great  trees  fastened  together 
with  double  chains,  had  been  placed.  Thus  not 
only  had  communication  been  established  across  the 
stream,  but  an  effectual  barrier  erected  to  the 
passage  of  the  fleet.  Fully  satisfied  with  the  result 
of  their  investigations,  the  party  set  out  on  their 
return. 


238  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTEK  XII. 
THE  SETTLER'S  HUT. 


BEFORE  starting  they  stood  for  a  minute  or  two 
looking  over  the  forest  which  they  were  to  traverse. 
To  Harold's  eye  all  appeared  quiet  and  still.  Here 
and  there  were  clearings  where  settlers  had  estab- 
lished themselves,  but  with  these  exceptions  the 
forest  stretched  away  like  a  green  sea. 

"  Tarnation !"  Peter  exclaimed.  "  We'll  have  all 
our  work  to  get  through  safely,  eh,  chief  ?" 

The  Seneca  nodded. 

"  What  makes  you  say  so  ?"  Harold  asked  in 
surprise.  "  I  see  nothing." 

Peter  looked  at  him  reproachfully. 

"  I'm  downright  ashamed  of  ye,  lad.  You  should 
have  been  long  enough  in  the  woods  by  this  time  to 
know  smoke  when  you  see  it.  Why,  there  it  is 
curling  up  from  the  trees  in  a  dozen — ay,  in  a  score 
of  places.  There  must  be  hundreds  of  men  out 
scouting  or  camping  in  them  woods." 

Harold  looked  fixedly  again  at  the  forests,  but 
even  now  he  could  not  detect  the  signs  which  were 
so  plain  to  the  scout. 

"  You  may  call  me  as  blind  as  a  bat,  Peter,"  he 
said  with  a  laugh,  "  but  I  can  see  nothing.  Look- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  239 

ing  hard  I  imagine  I  can  see  a  light  mist  here  and 
there,  but  I  believe  it  is  nothing  but  fancy." 

"  It's  clear  enough  to  me,  lad,  and  to  the  redskins. 
What  do  you  say,  chief  ?" 

"  Too  much  men,"  the  Seneca  replied  senten- 
tiously. 

For  another  minute  or  two  he  and  Peter  stood 
watching  the  forest,  and  then  in  a  few  words  con- 
sulted together  as  to  the  best  line  to  follow  to  avoid 
meeting  the  foe  who,  to  their  eyes,  swarmed  in  the 
forest. 

"It's  mighty  lucky,"  the  hunter  said  as  they 
turned  to  descend  the  hill,  which  was  covered  with 
trees  to  its  very  summit,  "  that  they're  white  men 
and  not  redskins  out  in  the  woods  there.  I  don't 
say  that  there's  not  many  frontiersmen  who  know 
the  way  of  the  woods  as  well  as  the  redskins.  I  do 
myself,  and  when  it  comes  to  fighting  we  can  lick 
'em  on  their  own  ground  ;  but  in  scouting  we  ain't 
nowhere — not  the  best  of  us.  The  redskin  seems  to 
have  an  instinct  more  like  that  of  an  animal  than  a 
man.  I  don't  say  as  he  can  smell  a  man  a  mile  off 
as  a  dog  can  do,  but  he  seems  to  know  when  the 
enemy's  about ;  his  ears  can  hear  noises  which  we 
can't ;  his  eyes  see  marks  on  the  ground  when  the 
keenest-sighted  white  man  sees  nothing.  If  that 
wood  was  as  full  of  redskins  as  it  is  of  whites  to- 
day, our  sculps  wouldn't  be  worth  a  charge  of 
powder." 

"  You  are  not  going  to  follow  the  shores  of  the 
lake,  I  suppose  ?"  Harold  asked. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  No,"  Peter  said.  "  They'll  be  as  thick  as  peas 
down  there  watching  for  the  first  sight  of  our  fleet. 
No,  we  must  just  keep  through  the  woods  and  be 
as  still  and  as  silent  as  ef  the  trees  had  ears.  You'd 
best  look  to  the  priming  of  yer  piece  before  we  goes 
further,  for  it's  likely  enough  you'll  have  to  use  it 
before  the  day's  done,  and  a  miss-fire  might  cost  you 
yer  life.  Tell  that  nigger  of  your'n  that  he's  not  to 
open  his  mouth  again  till  I  gives  him  leave." 

With  a  long,  stealthy  tread  the  party  descended 
the  mountain  and  took  their  way  through  the 
woods.  Every  hundred  yards  or  so  they  stopped 
and  listened  intently.  When  any  noise,  even  of  the 
slightest  kind,  was  heard,  all  dropped  to  the  ground 
until  the  chief  had  scouted  round  and  discovered 
the  way  was  clear.  Once  or  twice  they  heard  the 
sound  of  men's  voices  and  a  distant  laugh,  but  they 
passed  on  without  seeing  those  who  uttered  them. 

Presently  they  again  heard  voices,  this  time 
raised  as  if  in  angry  dispute.  The  Seneca  would, 
as  before,  have  made  a  long  detour  to  avoid  them, 
but  Peter  said : 

"  Let's  have  a  squint  at  what's  going  on,  chief." 

With  redoubled  caution  they  again  advanced 
until  they  stood  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing.  It  was 
a  patch  of  land  some  hundred  yards  wide  and  ex- 
tending from  the  shore  of  the  lake  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  inland.  In  the  center  stood  a  log  hut, 
neatly  and  carefully  built.  A  few  flowers  grew 
around  the  house,  and  the  whole  bore  signs  of 
greater  neatness  and  comfort  than  was  usual  in  the 
cabins  of  the  backwood  settlers. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  241 

The  point  where  the  party  had  reached  the  edge 
of  the  wood  was  immediately  opposite  the  house. 
Near  it  stood  a  group  of  some  twenty  men,  one  of 
whom,  apparently  their  leader,  was  gesticulating 
angrily  as  he  addressed  a  man  who  stood  facing 
him. 

"  I  tell  ye,  ye're  a  darned  royalist — ye're  a  traitor 
to  the  country,  and  I've  a  mind  to  hang  ye  and  all 
belonging  to  ye  to  the  nearest  bough." 

"  I  tell  you,"  the  man  answered  calmly,  but  in  the 
still  air  every  word  he  said  could  be  heard  by  those 
at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  "  I  hae  naething  to  do 
with  the  trouble  ane  way  or  the  ither.  I  am  a  quiet 
settler,  whose  business  only  is  to  mak  a  hame  for 
my  wife  and  bairn ;  but  if  you  ask  me  to  drink  suc- 
cess to  the  Congress  and  confusion  to  the  king's 
troops,  I  tell  you  I  willna  do  it ;  not  even  if  you 
are  brutal  enough,  but  this  I  canna  believe  possible, 
to  carry  your  threats  into  execution.  I  hae  served 
my  time  in  a  king's  regiment.  With  the  bounty  I 
received  instead  o'  pension  on  my  discharge  I  settled 
here  wi'  my  wife  and  bairn,  and  no  one  shall  say 
that  Duncan  Cameron  was  a  traitor  to  his  king. 
"We  do  no  harm  to  any  one ;  we  tak  no  part  for  or 
against  you ;  we  only  ask  to  be  allowed  to  live  in 
peace." 

"  That  ye  shall  not,"  the  man  said.  "  The  king's 
troops  have  got  Injuns  with  'em,  and  they're  going 
to  burn  and  kill  all  those  who  won't  take  part  with 
'em.  It's  time  we  should  show  'em  as  we  can  play 
at  that  game  too.  Now  ye've  either  got  to  swear 


242  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

to  be  faithful  to  the  States  of  America  or  up 
ye  go." 

"  I  canna  swear,"  the  settler  said  firmly.  "  You 
may  kill  me  if  you  will,  but  if  you  are  men  }'ou  will 
nae  harm  my  wife  and  girl." 

"  We'll  just  do  to  you  as  the  redskins'll  do  to  our 
people,"  the  man  said.  "  We'll  make  a  sweep  of 
the  hull  lot  of  you.  Here,  you  fellows,  fetch  the 
woman  and  girl  out  of  the  house  and  then  set  a 
light  to  it." 

Four  or  five  of  the  men  entered  the  house.  A 
minute  later  screams  were  heard  and  a  woman  and 
child  dragged  out.  The  settler  sprang  toward  them, 
but  three  or  four  men  seized  him. 

"Now,"  the  man  said, stepping  toward  the  house, 
"  we'll  show  'em  a  bonfire." 

As  he  neared  the  door  a  crack  of  a  rifle  was  heard 
and  the  ruffian  fell  dead  in  his  tracks.  A  yell  of 
astonishment  and  rage  broke  from  his  followers. 

"  Jerusalem !  youngster,  you've  got  us  into  a  nice 
fix.  Howsomever,  since  you've  begun  it  here  goes." 

And  the  rifle  of  the  hunter  brought  down  another 
of  the  Americans.  These,  following  the  first  im- 
pulse of  a  frontiersman  when  attacked,  fled  for 
shelter  to  the  house,  leaving  the  settler  with  his 
wife  and  daughter  standing  alone. 

"  Ye'd  best  get  out  of  the  way,"  Peter  shouted, 
"  or  ye  may  get  a  bit  of  lead  that  wasn't  intended 
for  ye." 

Catching  up  his  child,  Cameron  ran  toward  the 
forest,  making  for  the  side  on  which  his  unknown 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  243 

friends  were  placed,  but  keeping  down  toward  the 
lake  so  as  to  be  out  of  their  line  of  fire. 

"  Make  down  to  'em,  Harold,"  Peter  said.  «  Tell 
'em  they'd  best  go  to  some  neighbor's  and  stop 
there  for  a  day  or  two.  The  army'll  be  here  to- 
morrow or  next  day.  Be  quick  about  it,  and  come 
back  as  fast  as  ye  can.  I  tell  ye  we're  in  a  hornet's 
nest,  and  it'll  be  as  much  as  we  can  do  to  get  out 
of  it." 

A  scattering  fire  was  now  being  exchanged  be- 
tween the  redskins  behind  the  shelter  of  the  trees 
and  the  Americans  firing  from  the  windows  of  the 
log  house.  Harold  was  but  two  or  three  minutes 
absent. 

"  All  right,  Peter !"  he  exclaimed  as  he  rejoined 
them. 

"Come  along,  then,"  the  hunter  said.  "Now, 
chief,  let's  make  up  round  the  top  of  this  clearing 
and  then  foot  it." 

The  chiei  at  once  put  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
party  and  the  nine  men  strode  away  again  through 
the  forest.  It  was  no  longer  silent.  Behind  them 
the  occupants  of  the  hut  were  still  keeping  up  a 
brisk  fire  toward  the  trees,  while  from  several 
quarters  shouts  could  be  heard,  and  more  than  once 
the  Indian  war-whoop  rose  in  the  forest. 

"  That's  jest  what  I  was  afeard  of,"  Peter  mut- 
tered. "  There's  some  of  those  darned  varmint  with 
'em.  We  might  have  found  our  way  through  tha 
whites,  but  the  redskins'll  pick  up  our  trail  as  sar- 
tin  as  if  we  were  driving  a  wagon  through  the 
woods." 


244  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Going  along  at  a  swinging  noiseless  trot  the  party 
made  their  way  through  the  forest.  Presently  a 
prolonged  Indian  whoop  was  heard  in  the  direction 
from  which  they  had  come.  Then  there  were  loud 
shouts  and  the  firing  ceased. 

"  One  of  the  red  reptiles  has  found  our  trail," 
Peter  said.  "He's  with  a  party  of  whites,  and 
they've  shouted  the  news  to  the  gang  in  the  clear- 
ing. Waal,  we  may  calculate  we've  got  thirty  on 
our  trail,  and  as  we  can  hear  them  all  round  it'll  be 
a  sarcumstance  if  we  git  out  with  our  sculps." 

As  they  ran  they  heard  shouts  from  those  behind, 
answered  by  others  on  both  flanks.  Shots,  too, 
were  fired  as  signals  to  call  the  attention  of  other 
parties.  Several  times  the  Seneca  chief  stopped 
and  listened  attentively,  and  then  changed  his  course 
as  he  heard  suspicious  noises  ahead.  Those  behind 
them  were  coming  up,  although  still  at  some  dis- 
tance in  the  rear.  They  could  hear  the  sound  of 
breaking  trees  and  bushes  as  their  pursuers  followed 
them  in  a  body. 

"  Ef  it  was  only  the  fellows  behind,"  Peter  said, 
"  we  could  leave  them  easy  enough,  but  the  wood 
seems  alive  with  the  varmint." 

It  was  evident  the  alarm  had  spread  through  the 
forest,  and  that  the  bands  scattered  here  and  there 
were  aware  that  an  enemy  was  in  their  midst.  The 
dropping  fire  which  the  pursuers  kept  up  afforded 
an  indication  as  to  the  direction  in  which  they  were 
making,  and  the  ringing  war-whoop  of  the  hostile 
Indians  conveyed  the  intelligence  still  more  surely. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  245 

Presently  there  was  a  shout  a  short  distance 
ahead,  followed  by  the  sound  of  a  rifle-ball  as  it 
whizzed  close  to  Harold's  head  and  buried  itself  in  a 
tree  that  he  was  passing.  In  a  moment  each  of  the 
party  had  sheltered  behind  a  tree. 

"  It's  of  no  use,  chief,"  Peter  said.  "  We'll  have 
the  hull  pack  from  behind  upon  us  in  five  minutes. 
"We  must  run  for  it  and  take  our  chances  of  being 
hit." 

Swerving  somewhat  from  their  former  line,  they 
again  ran  on  ;  bullets  whisked  round  them,  but  they 
did  not  pause  to  fire  a  shot  in  return. 

"  Tarnation !"  Peter  exclaimed  as  the  trees  in 
front  of  them  opened  and  they  found  themselves  on 
the  edge  of  another  clearing.  It  was  considerably 
larger  than  that  which  they  had  lately  left,  being 
three  hundred  yards  across  and  extending  back  from 
the  lake  fully  half  a  mile.  As  in  the  previous  case, 
a  log  hut  stood  in  the  center  some  two  hundred  yards 
back  from  the  lake. 

"  There's  nothing  for  it,  chief,"  Peter  said.  "  We 
must  take  to  the  house  and  fight  it  out  there. 
There's  a  hull  gang  of  fellows  in  the  forest  ahead, 
and  they'll  shoot  us  down  if  we  cross  the  clearing." 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  the  party  rushed 
across  the  clearing  to  the  hut.  Several  shots  were 
fired  as  they  dashed  across  the  open,  but  they  gained 
the  place  of  refuge  in  safety.  The  hut  was  desert- 
ed. It  had  probably  belonged  to  royalists,  for  its 
rough  furniture  lay  broken  on  the  ground,  boxes 
and  cupboards  had  been  forced  open,  and  the  floor 


246  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

was  strewn  with  broken  crockery  and  portions  of 
wearing  apparel. 

Harold  looked  round.  Several  of  the  party  were 
bleeding  from  slight  wounds. 

"  Now  to  the  windows,"  Peter  said  as  he  barred 
the  door.  "  Pile  up  bedding  and  anything  else  that 
ye  can  find  against  the  shutters,  and  keep  yerselves 
well  under  cover.  Don't  throw  away  a  shot ;  we'll 
want  all  our  powder,  I  can  tell  ye.  Quickly  now — 
there  ain't  no  time  to  be  lost." 

While  some  began  carrying  out  his  instructions 
below,  others  bounded  upstairs  and  scattered  them- 
selves through  the  upper  rooms.  There  were  two 
windows  on  each  side  of  the  house — one  at  each 
end.  Disregarding  the  latter,  Peter  and  Harold 
took  post  at  the  windows  looking  toward  the  forest 
from  which  they  had  just  come.  The  chief  and  an- 
other Indian  posted  themselves  to  watch  the  other 
side.  At  first  no  one  was  to  be  seen.  The  party 
who  had  fired  at  them  as  they  ran  across  the  open 
had  waited  for  the  coming  up  of  the  strong  band 
who  were  following  before  venturing  to  show  them- 
selves. The  arrival  of  the  pursuers  was  heralded 
by  the  opening  of  a  heavy 'fire  toward  the  house. 
As  the  assailants  kept  themselves  behind  trees  no 
reply  was  made,  and  the  defenders  occupied  them- 
selves by  piling  the  bedding  against  the  shutters, 
which  they  had  hastily  closed.  Loop-holes  had 
been  left  in  the  walls  when  the  hut  was  first  built ; 
the  moss  with  which  they  were  filled  up  was  torn 
out,  and  each  man  took  his  post  at  one  of  these. 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

As  no  answering  shot  came  from  the  house,  the  as- 
sailants became  bolder  and  one  or  two  ventured  to 
show  themselves  from  behind  shelter.  In  a  moment 
Harold  and  Peter,  whose  rifles  would  carry  more 
truly  and  much  further  than  those  of  the  Indians, 
fired. 

"  Two  wiped  out !"  Peter  said  as  the  men  fell  and 
shouts  of  anger  arose  from  the  woods.  "  That'll 
make  them  careful." 

This  proof  of  the  accuracy  of  the  aim  of  the  be- 
sieged checked  their  assailants,  and  for  some  time 
they  were  very  careful  not  to  expose  themselves. 
From  both  sides  of  the  forest  a  steady  fire  was 
maintained.  Occasionally  an  answering  shot  flashed 
out  from  the  house  when  one  of  the  enemy  incau- 
tiously showed  an  arm  or  a  part  of  his  body  from 
behind  the  trees,  and  it  was  seldom  the  rifles  were 
fired  in  vain.  Four  or  five  of  the  Americans  were 
shot  through  the  head  as  they  leaned  forward  to 
fire,  and  after  an  hour's  exchange  of  bullets  the  at- 
tack ceased. 

"  What  are  they  going  to  do  now  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"I  expect  they're  going  to  wait  till  nightfall," 
Peter  said.  "  There's  no  moon  and  they'll  be  able 
to  work  up  all  round  the  house.  Then  they'll  make 
a  rush  together  at  the  door  and  lower  windows. 
We'll  shoot  down  a  good  many  on  'em,  and  then 
they'll  burst  their  way  in  or  set  fire  to  the  hut,  and 
there'll  be  an  end  of  it.  That's  what'll  happen." 

"  And  you  think  there  is  no  way  of  making  our 
way  out?"  Harold  asked. 


248  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  It's  a  mighty  poor  chance,  if  there's  one  at  all,* 
the  hunter  replied.  "  I  should  say  by  the  fire  there 
must  be  nigh  a  hundred  of  'em  now,  and  it's  likely 
that  by  nightfall  there'll  be  three  times  as  many. 
As  soon  as  it  gets  dusk  they'll  creep  out  from  the 
woods  and  form  a  circle  round  the  house  and  grad- 
ually work  up  to  it.  Now  let's  cook  some  vittles  ; 
we've  had  nothing  to  eat  this  morning  yet,  and  it 
must  be  nigh  eleven  o'clock.  I  don't  see  why  we 
should  be  starved,  even  if  we  have  got  to  be  killed 
to-night." 

One  of  the  party  was  left  on  watch  on  each  side 
of  the  house,  and  the  others  gathered  in  the  room 
below,  where  a  fire  was  lit  and  the  strips  of  dried 
deer  flesh  which  they  carried  were  soon  frying  over 
it.  Harold  admired  the  air  of  indifference  with 
which  his  companions  set  about  preparing  the  meat. 
Every  one  was  aware  of  the  desperate  nature  of 
the  position,  but  no  allusion  was  made  to  it.  The 
negro  had  caught  the  spirit  of  his  companions,  but 
his  natural  loquacity  prevented  his  imitating  their 
habitual  silence. 

"  Dis  bad  affair,  Massa  Harold,"  he  said.  "  We 
jess  like  so  many  coons  up  in  tree,  wid  a  whole 
pack  ob  dogs  round  us,  and  de  hunters  in  de  distance 
coming  up  wid  de  guns.  Dis  child  reckon  dat  some 
ob  dera  hunters  will  get  hit  hard  before  dey  get  us. 
Jake  don't  care  one  bit  for  himself,  massa,  but  he 
bery  sorry  to  see  you  in  such  a  fix." 

"  It  can't  be  helped,  Jake,"  Harold  said  as  cheer- 
fully as  he  could.  "  It  was  my  firing  that  shot 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  249 

which  got  us  into  it,  and  yet  I  cannot  blame  myself. 
We  could  not  stand  by  and  see  those  ruffians  murder 
a  woman  and  child." 

"  Dat's  so,  Massa  Harold  ;  dere  was  no  possinbility 
of  seeing  dat.  I  reckon  dat  when  dose  rascals  come 
to  climb  de  stairs  dey'll  find  dat  it  are  bery  hard 
work." 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  try,  Jake.  They  are 
more  likely  to  heap  brushwood  against  the  door  and 
windows  and  set  it  alight,  and  then  shoot  us  down 
as  we  rush  out.  This  hut  is  not  like  the  one  I  had 
to  defend  against  the  Iroquois.  That  was  built  to 
repel  Indians'  attacks ;  this  is  a  mere  squatter's 
hut." 

After  the  meal  was  over  Peter  and  the  Seneca 
chief  went  upstairs,  looked  through  the  loop-holes, 
and  talked  long  and  earnestly  together ;  then  they 
rejoined  the  party  below. 

"  The  chief  and  I  are  of  opinion,"  Peter  said  to 
Harold,  "  that  it  are  of  no  manner  of  use  our  wait- 
ing to  be  attacked  here.  They'd  burn  us  out  to  a 
sartinty ;  we  should  have  no  show  of  a  fight  at  all. 
Any  thing's  better  than  that.  Now,  what  we 
propose  is  that  directly  it  gits  fairly  dark  we'll  all 
creep  out  and  make  for  the  lake.  Even  ef  they 
have  formed  their  circle  round  us,  they  ain't  likely 
to  be  as  thick  there  as  they  are  on  the  other  side. 
What  they'll  try  to  do,  in  course,  is  to  prevent  our 
taking  to  the  forest ;  and  there'll  be  such  a  grist  of 
'em.  that  I  don't  believe  one  of  us  would  git  through 
alive  if  we  tried  it.  Now  they'll  not  be  so  strong 


250  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

toward  the  lake,  and  we  might  break  through  to 
the  water.  I  don't  say  as  there's  much  chance  of 
our  gitting  away,  for  I  tell  you  fairly  that  I  don't 
believe  that  there's  any  chance  at  all ;  but  the  chief 
here  and  his  braves  don't  want  their  sculps  to  hang 
in  the  wigwams  of  the  Chippewas,  and  I  myself,  ef 
I  had  the  choice,  would  rather  be  drownded  than 
shot  down.  It  don't  make  much  difference,  but  of 
the  two  I  had  rather.  Ef  we  can  reach  the  lake  we 
can  swim  out  of  gunshot  range.  I  know  you  can 
swim  like  a  fish,  and  so  can  Jake,  and  the  Injuns 
swim  as  a  matter  of  course.  Ef  we  dive  at  first  we 
may  git  off ;  it'll  be  so  dark  they  won't  see  us  with 
any  sartinty  beyond  fifty  yards.  "When  we're  once 
fairly  out  in  the  lake  we  can  take  our  chance." 

"And  is  there  a  chance,  Peter?  Although,  if 
there  is  none,  I  quite  agree  with  you  that  I  would 
rather  be  drowned  than  shot  down.  If  one  were 
sure  of  being  killed  by  the  first  shot  that  would  be 
the  easiest  death;  but  if  we  were  only  wounded 
they  would  probably  hang  us  in  the  morning." 

"That's  so,"  the  hunter  said.  ""Waal,  I  can 
hardly  say  that  there's  a  chance,  and  yet  I  can't  say 
as  how  there  ain't.  In  the  first  place,  they  may 
have  some  canoes  and  come  out  after  us ;  there's 
pretty  safe  to  be  some  along  the  shore  here.  The 
settlers  would  have  had  'em  for  fishing." 

"But  what  chance  will  that  give  us?"  Harold 
asked. 

""Waal,"  the  hunter  replied,  "I  reckon  in  that 
case  as  our  chance  is  a  fair  one.  Ef  we  dive  and 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  251 

/ 

come  up  close  alongside  we  may  manage  to  upset 
one  of  'em,  and  in  that  case  we  might  get  off. 
That's  one  chance.  Then  ef  they  don't  come  out  in 
canoes  we  might  swim  three  or  four  miles  down  the 
lake  and  take  to  land.  They  couldn't  tell  which 
way  we'd  go  and  would  have  to  scatter  over  a  long 
line.  It's  just  possible  as  we  might  land  without 
being  seen.  Once  in  the  woods  and  we'd  be  safe. 
So  you  see  we  have  two  chances.  In  course  wo 
must  throw  away  our  rifles  and  ammunition  before 
we  come  to  the  water." 

"  At  any  rate,"  Harold  said,  "  the  plan  is  a  hope- 
ful one,  and  I  agree  with  you  that  it  is  a  thousand 
times  better  to  try  it  than  it  is  to  stop  here  with  the 
certainty  of  being  shot  down  before  morning." 

The  afternoon  passed  quietly.  A  few  shots  were 
fired  occasionally  from  the  wood,  and  taunting 
shouts  were  heard  of  the  fate  which  awaited  them 
when  night  approached. 

A  vigilant  watch  was  kept  from  the  upper  win- 
dows, but  Peter  thought  that  it  was  certain  the 
enemy  would  make  no  move  until  it  became  per- 
fectly dark,  although  they  would  establish  a  strong 
cordon  all  round  the  clearing  in  case  the  besieged 
should  try  and  break  out.  Harold  trembled  with 
impatience  to  be  off  as  the  night  grew  darker  and 
darker.  It  seemed  to  him  that  at  any  moment  the 
assailants  might  be  narrowing  the  circle  round  the 
house,  and  had  he  been  the  leader  he  would  have 
given  the  word  long  before  the  scout  made  a  move. 

At  last  Peter  signaled  that  the  time  had  come. 


252  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

It  was  perfectly  dark  when  the  bars  were  noiselessly 
removed  from  the  door  and  the  party  stole  out. 
Everything  seemed  silent,  but  the  very  stillness 
made  the  danger  appear  more  terrible.  Peter  had 
impressed  upon  Harold  and  Jake  the  necessity  for 
moving  without  making  the  slightest  noise.  As 
soon  as  they  left  the  house  the  whole  party  dropped 
on  their  hands  and  knees.  Peter  and  the  Seneca 
chief  led  the  way ;  two  of  the  braves  came  next ; 
Harold  and  Jake  followed ;  the  remaining  Indians 
crawled  in  the  rear.  Peter  had  told  his  comrades 
to  keep  as  close  as  possible  to  the  Indians  in  front 
of  them,  and  grasping  their  rifles  they  crept  along 
the  ground.  As  they  led  the  way  Peter  and  the 
Seneca  carefully  removed  from  before  them  every 
dried  twig  and  threw  it  on  one  side. 

The  distance  to  be  traversed  from  the  hut  to  the 
water  was  about  two  hundred  yards,  and  half  of 
this  was  passed  over  before  they  encountered  any 
obstacle.  Then  suddenly  there  was  an  exclamation, 
and  Peter  and  the  Seneca  sprang  to  their  feet  as 
they  came  in  contact  with  two  men  crawling  in  the 
opposite  direction.  They  were  too  close  to  use  their 
rifles,  but  a  crushing  blow  from  the  Seneca's  toma- 
hawk cleft  down  the  man  in  front  of  him,  while 
Peter  drew  his  long  knife  from  its  sheath  and  buried 
it  in  the  body  of  his  opponent. 

The  others  had  also  leaped  to  their  feet,  and  each 
as  he  did  so  fired  at  the  dark  figures  which  rose 
around  them.  They  had  the  advantage  of  the  sur- 
prise ;  several  scattered  shots  answered  their  volley, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  253 

then  with  their  rifles  clubbed  they  rushed  forward. 
For  a  moment  there  was  a  hand-to-hand  fight. 
Harold  had  just  struck  down  a  man  opposite  to  him 
when  another  sprang  upon  him  ;  so  sudden  was  the 
attack  that  he  fell  from  the  shock.  But  in  an  in- 
stant Jake  buried  his  knife  between  his  opponent's 
shoulders  and  dragged  Harold  to  his  feet. 

"  Kun  for  your  life,  Massa  Harold.  De  whole 
gang's  upon  us !" 

And  indeed  the  instant  the  first  shot  broke  the 
silence  of  the  woods  a  babel  of  sounds  arose  from 
the  whole  circuit  of  the  clearing  ;  shouts  and  yells 
burst  out  from  hundreds  of  throats.  There  was  no 
further  use  for  concealment,  and  from  all  sides  the 
men  who  had  been  advancing  to  the  attack  rushed 
in  the  direction  where  the  conflict  was  taking  place. 
This  lasted  but  a  few  seconds.  As  Peter  had  ex- 
pected, the  line  was  thinner  toward  the  lake  than 
upon  the  other  sides,  and  the  rush  of  nine  men  had 
broken  through  it.  Shouts  were  heard  from  the 
woods  on  either  side  extending  down  to  the  water, 
showing  that  the  precaution  had  been  taken  by  the 
assailants  of  leaving  a  portion  of  their  force  to  guard 
the  line  of  forest  should  the  defenders  break  through 
the  circle. 

At  headlong  speed  the  little  band  rushed  down 
to  the  water's  side,  dropped  their  ammunition 
pouches  by  its  edge,  threw  their  rifles  a  few  yards 
into  the  water,  to  be  recovered,  perhaps,  on  some 
future  occasion,  and  then  dived  in.  The  nearest  of 
the  pursuers  were  some  thirty  yards  behind  when 


254  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

they  neared  the  water's  edge.  Swimming  as  far 
under  water  as  they  could  hold  their  breath,  each 
came  to  the  surface  for  an  instant  and  then  again 
dived.  Momentarily  as  they  showed  themselves 
they  heard  the  rattle  of  musketry  behind,  and  the 
bullets  splashed  thickly  on  the  water.  The  night, 
however,  was  so  dark  that  the  fire  could  only  be  a 
random  one.  Until  far  out  from  the  shore  they 
continued  diving  and  then  gathered  together. 

"We're  pretty  well  out  of  range  now,"  Peter 
said,  "  and  quite  out  of  sight  of  the  varmints.  Now 
we  can  wait  a  bit  and  see  what  they  do  next." 

The  enemy  were  still  keeping  up  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  shore,  hallooing  and  shouting  to  each 
other  as  they  fancied  they  caught  a  glimpse  of  their 
enemies. 

"  There  must  be  two  or  three  hundred  of  'em," 
Peter  said.  "  We've  fooled  'em  nicely  so  far." 

By  the  crashing  of  the  bushes  the  fugitives  could 
hear  strong  parties  making  their  way  along  the 
shore  in  either  direction.  An  hour  passed,  during 
which  the  fugitives  floated  nearly  opposite  the 
clearing. 

"Hullo!"  Peter  exclaimed  presently.  "There'i 
a  canoe  coming  along  the  lake.  I  expect  they  got 
it  from  Cameron's." 

As  he  spoke  a  canoe  appeared  round  the  point. 
Two  men  were  standing  up  holding  blazing  torches ; 
two  others  paddled  ;  while  two,  rifle  in  hand,  sat  by 
them.  Almost  at  the  same  moment  another  canoe, 
similarly  manned,  pushed  out  from  the  shore  im- 
mediately opposite. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  255 

"I  wish  we  had  known  of  that  canoe,"  Peter 
said  ;  "  it  would  have  saved  us  a  lot  of  trouble  ;  but 
we  had  no  time  for  looking  about.  I  suspected 
them  settlers  must  have  had  one  laid  up  sorae- 
wheres.  Now,"  he  went  on, "  let's  make  our  plans. 
The  canoes  are  sure  to  keep  pretty  nigh  each  other. 
They'll  most  likely  think  as  we've  gone  down  the 
lake  and'll  not  be  looking  very  sharply  after  us  at 
present.  It'll  never  do  to  let  'em  pass  us.  Now 
Jake  and  I  and  two  of  the  Injuns  will  take  one 
canoe  and  the  chief  and  three  of  his  braves  the 
other.  We  must  move  round  so  as  to  get  between 
'em  and  the  shore  and  then  dive  and  come  up  close 
to  'em.  Now,  Harold,  do  you  swim  out  a  bit  further 
and  then  make  a  splash  so  as  to  call  their  attention. 
Do  it  once  or  twice  till  you  see  that  they've  got 
their  eyes  turned  that  way.  Then  be  very  quiet,  so 
as  to  keep  'em  watching  for  another  sound.  That'll 
be  our  moment  for  attacking  'em." 

They  waited  till  the  two  canoes  joined  each  other 
and  paddled  slowly  out  from  shore.  Then  the  eight 
swimmers  started  off  to  make  their  deton^r,  while 
Harold  swam  quietly  further  out  into  the  lake.  The 
canoes  were  about  three  hundred  yards  from  shore 
and  were  paddling  very  slowly,  the  occupants  keep- 
ing a  fixed  look  along  the  lake.  There  was  perfect 
quiet  on  the  shore  now,  and  when  Harold  made  a 
slight  splash  with  his  hand  upon  the  water  he  saw 
it  was  heard.  Both  canoes  stopped  rowing,  the 
steerers  in  each  case  giving  them  a  steer  so  that 
they  lay  broadside  to  the  land,  giving  each  man  a 


256  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

view  over  the  lake-  They  sat  as  quiet  as  if  carved 
in  stone.  Again  Harold  made  a  splash,  but  this 
time  a  very  slight  one,  so  slight  that  it  could  hardly 
reach  the  ears  of  the  listeners. 

A  few  words  were  exchanged  by  the  occupants 
of  the  boats. 

"They  are  further  out  on  the  lake,  Bill,"  one 
said. 

"  I  am  not  sure,"  another  answered.  "  I  rather 
think  the  sound  was  further  down.  Listen  again." 

Again  they  sat  motionless.  Harold  swam  with 
his  eyes  fixed  upon  them.  Every  face  was  turned 
his  way  and  none  was  looking  shoreward.  Then, 
almost  at  the  same  instant,  there  was  a  shout  from 
both  boats.  The  men  with  torches  seemed  to  lose 
their  balance.  The  lights  described  a  half  circle 
through  the  air  and  were  extinguished.  A  shout  of 
astonishment  broke  from  the  occupants,  mingled 
with  the  wild  Seneca  war-yell,  and  he  knew  that 
both  canoes  were  upset. 

There  was  the  sound  of  a  desperate  struggle  going 
on.  Oaths  and  wild  cries  rose  from  the  water. 
Heavy  blows  were  struck,  while  from  the  shore 
arose  loud  shouts  of  dismay  and  rage.  In  two  min- 
utes all  was  quiet  on  the  water.  Then  came  Peter's 
shout : 

*'  This  way,  Harold.  We'll  have  the  canoes 
righted  and  bailed  in  a  minute.  The  varmin's  all 
wiped  out." 

With  a  lightened  heart  Harold  swam  toward  the 
spot.  The  surprise  had  been  a  complete  success. 


THUS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAU.  267 

The  occupants  of  the  canoes,  intent  only  upon  the 
pursuit  and  having  no  fear  of  attack — for  they 
knew  that  the  fugitives  must  have  thrown  away 
their  rifles — were  all  gazing  intently  out  on  the 
lake,  when  close  to  each  canoe  on  the  shore  side 
four  heads  rose  from  out  of  the  water.  In  an  in- 
stant eight  hands  had  seized  the  gunwales,  and  be- 
fore the  occupants  were  aware  of  their  danger  the 
canoes  were  upset. 

Taken  wholly  by  surprise  the  Americans  were  no 
match  for  their  assailants.  The  knives  of  the  latter 
did  their  work  before  the  frontiersmen  had 
thoroughly  grasped  what  had  happened.  Two  or 
three,  indeed,  had  made  a  desperate  fight,  but  they 
were  no  match  for  their  opponents  and  the  struggle 
was  quickly  over. 

On  Harold  reaching  the  canoes  he  found  them 
already  righted  and  half-emptied  of  water.  The 
paddles  were  picked  up,  and  in  a  few  minutes,  with 
a  derisive  shout  of  adieu  to  their  furious  enemy  on 
the  shore,  the  two  canoes  paddled  out  into  the  lake. 
When  they  had  attained  a  distance  of  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  shore  they  turned  the  boats'  heads 
and  paddled  north.  In  three  hours  they  saw  lights 
in  the  wood. 

"  There's  the  troops,"  Peter  said.  "  Soldiers  are 
never  content  unless  they're  making  fires  big 
enough  to  warn  every  redskin  within  fifty  miles 
that  they're  coming." 

As  they  approached  the  shore  the  challenge  from 
the  English  sentinel  came  over  the  water : 


258  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

w  Who  comes  there?" 

"  Friends,"  Peter  replied. 

"  Give  the  pass- word." 

"  How  on  arth  am  I  to  give  the  pass-word,"  Peter 
shouted  back,  "  when  we've  been  three  days  away 
from  the  camp  ?" 

"  If  you  approach  without  the  pass-word  I  fire," 
the  sentinel  said. 

"  I  tell  ye,"  Peter  shouted,  "  we're  scouts  with 
news  for  the  general." 

"I  can't  help  who  you  are,"  the  sentinel  said.  "I 
have  got  my  orders." 

"Pass  the  word  along  for  an  officer,"  Harold 
shouted.  "  "We  have  important  news." 

The  sentry  called  to  the  one  next  him,  and  so 
the  word  was  passed  along  the  line.  In  a  few  min- 
utes an  officer  appeared  on  the  shore,  and  after  a 
short  parley  the  party  were  allowed  to  land,  and 
Peter  and  Harold  were  at  once  conducted  to  the 
headquarters  of  General  Burgoyne. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  259 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SARATOGA. 

"WHAT  is  your  report?"  asked  General  Bur- 
goyne  as  the  scouts  were  conducted  into  his  tent. 

"  We  have  discovered,  sir,  that  the  Americans 
have  strongly  fortified  Mount  Independence,  which 
faces  Ticonderoga,  and  have  connected  the  two 
places  by  a  bridge  across  the  river,  which  is  pro- 
tected by  a  strong  boom.  Both  positions  are,  how- 
ever, overlooked  by  Sugar  Hill,  and  this  they  have 
entirely  neglected  to  fortify.  If  you  were  to  seize 
this  they  would  have  to  retire  at  once." 

The  general  expressed  his  satisfaction  at  the 
news  and  gave  orders  that  steps  should  be  taken  to 
seize  Sugar  Hill  immediately.  He  then  questioned 
the  scouts  as  to  their  adventures  and  praised  them 
highly  for  their  conduct. 

The  next  day  the  army  advanced,  and  at  night- 
fall both  divisions  were  in  their  places,  having 
arrived  within  an  hour  or  two  of  each  other  from 
the  opposite  sides  of  the  lake.  Sugar  Hill  was 
seized  the  same  night,  and  a  strong  party  were  set 
to  work  cutting  a  road  through  the  trees.  The 
next  morning  the  enemy  discovered  the  British  at 
work  erecting  a  battery  on  the  hill,  and  their  gen- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

eral  decided  to  evacuate  both  Ticonderoga  and 
Mount  Independence  instantly.  Their  baggage, 
provisions,  and  stores  were  embarked  in  two  hun- 
dred boats  and  sent  up  the  river.  The  array  started 
to  march  by  the  road. 

The  next  morning  the  English  discovered  that 
the  Americans  had  disappeared.  Captain  Lutwych 
immediately  set  to  work  to  destroy  the  bridge  and 
boom,  whose  construction  had  taken  the  Americans 
nearly  twelve  months'  labor.  By  nine  in  the 
morning  a  passage,  was  effected,  and  some  gunboats 
passed  through  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy's  convoy. 
They  overtook  them  near  Skenesborough,  engaged 
and  captured  many  of  their  largest  craft,  and 
obliged  them  to  set  several  others  on  fire,  together 
with  a  large  number  of  their  boats  and  barges. 

A  few  hours  afterward  a  detachment  of  British 
troops  in  gunboats  came  up  the  river  to  Skenes- 
borough. The  cannon  on  the  works  which  the 
Americans  had  erected  there  opened  fire,  but  the 
troops  were  landed,  and  the  enemy  at  once  evacu- 
ated their  works,  setting  fire  to  their  store-houses 
and  mills.  While  these  operations  had  been  going 
on  by  water  Brigadier-General  Fraser,  at  the  head 
of  the  advance  corps  of  grenadiers  and  light  infantry, 
pressed  hard  upon  the  division  of  the  enemy  which 
had  retired  by  the  Hubberton  Road  and  overtook 
them  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

The  division  consisted  of  fifteen  hundred  of  the 
best  colonial  troops  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Francis.  They  were  posted  on  strong  ground  and 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  261 

sheltered  by  breastworks  composed  of  logs  and  old 
trees.  General  Eraser's  detachment  was  inferior  in 
point  of  numbers  to  that  of  the  defenders  of  the 
position,  but  as  he  expected  a  body  of  the  German 
troops  under  General  Reidesel  to  arrive  immedi- 
ately he  at  once  attacked  the  breastworks.  The 
Americans  defended  their  post  with  great  resolution 
and  bravery.  The  reinforcements  did  not  arrive 
so  soon  as  was  expected,  and  for  some  time  the 
British  made  no  way. 

General  Reidesel,  hearing  the  fire  in  front, 
pushed  forward  at  full  speed  with  a  small  body  of 
troops.  Among  these  was  the  band,  which  he  or- 
dered to  play. 

The  enemy,  hearing  the  music  and  supposing  that 
the  whole  of  the  German  troops  had  come  up,  evacu- 
ated the  position  and  fell  back  with  precipitation. 
Colonel  Francis  and  many  others  were  killed  and 
two  hundred  taken  prisoners.  On  the  English  side 
one  hundred  and  twenty  men  were  killed  and 
wounded. 

The  enemy  from  Skenesborough  were  pursued  by 
Colonel  Hill,  with  the  Ninth  Regiment,  and  were 
overtaken  near  Fort  Anne.  Finding  how  small  was 
the  force  that  pursued  them  in  comparison  to  their 
own,  they  took  the  offensive.  A  hot  engagement 
took  place,  and  after  three  hours'  fighting  the 
Americans  were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter  and 
forced  to  retreat  after  setting  fire  to  Fort  Anne 
and  Fort  Edward. 

In  these  operations  the   British    captured    one 


262  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

hundred  and  forty -eight  guns,  with  large  quantities 
of  stores.  At  Fort  Edward  General  Schuyler  was 
joined  by  General  St.  Clair,  but  even  with  this  ad- 
dition the  total  American  strength  did  not  exceed 
forty-four  hundred. 

Instead  of  returning  from  Skenesborough  to 
Ticonderoga,  whence  he  might  have  sailed  with  his 
army  up  to  Lake  George,  General  Burgoyne  pro- 
ceeded to  cut  his  way  through  the  woods  to  the 
lake.  The  difficulties  of  the  passage  were  immense : 
swamps  and  morasses  had  to  be  passed,  bridges  had 
to  be  constructed  over  creeks,  ravines,  and  gulleys. 
The  troops  worked  with  great  vigor  and  spirit. 
Major-General  Phillips  had  returned  to  Lake  George 
and  transported  the  artillery,  provisions,  and  bag- 
gage to  Fort  George  and  thence  by  land  to  a  point 
on  the  Hudson  Tliver,  together  with  a  large  number 
of  boats  for  the  use  of  the  army  in  their  intended 
descent  to  Albany. 

So  great  was  the  labor  entailed  by  this  work  that 
it  was  not  until  July  30  that  the  army  arrived  on 
the  Hudson  River.  The  delay  of  three  weeks  had 
afforded  the  enemy  time  to  recover  their  spirits  and 
recruit  their  strength.  General  Arnold  arrived 
with  a  strong  reenforcement,  and  a  force  was  de- 
tached to  check  the  progress  of  Colonel  St.  Leger, 
who  was  coming  down  from  Montreal  by  way  of 
Lake  Ontario  and  the  Mohawk  River,  to  effect  a 
junction  with  General  Burgoyne. 

General  Burgoyne  determined  to  advance  at 
once.  The  army  was  already  suffering  from  want 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  263 

of  transportation,  and  he  decided  to  send  a  body 
of  troops  to  Bennington,  twenty-four  miles  to 
the  eastward  of  the  Hudson  River,  where  the 
Americans  had  large  supplies  collected.  Instead  of 
sending  light  infantry  he  dispatched  six  hundred 
Germans — the  worst  troops  he  could  have  selected 
for  this  purpose,  as  they  were  very  heavily  armed 
and  inarched  exceedingly  slowly.  Several  of  the 
officers  remonstrated  with  him,  but  with  his 
usual  infatuated  obstinacy  he  maintained  his  dis- 
position. 

On  approaching  Bennington  Colonel  Baum,  who 
commanded  the  Germans,  found  that  a  very  strong 
force  was  gathered  there.  He  sent  back  for  re- 
enforcements,  and  five  hundred  more  Germans, 
under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Breyman,  were  dispatched 
to  his  assistance.  Long,  however,  before  these 
slowly  moving  troops  could  arrive  Colonel  Baum 
was  attacked  by  the  enemy  in  vastly  superior  num- 
bers. The  Germans  fought  with  great  bravery  and 
several  times  charged  the  Americans  and  drove 
them  back.  Fresh  troops  continued  to  come  up  on 
the  enemy's  side,  and  the  Germans  having  lost  a 
large  number  of  men,  including  their  colonel,  were 
forced  to  retreat  into  the  woods.  The  enemy  then 
advanced  against  Colonel  Breyman,  who  was 
ignorant  of  the  disaster  that  had  befallen  Baum, 
and  with  his  detachment  had  occupied  twenty-four 
hours  in  marching  sixteen  miles.  The  Germans 
again  fought  well,  but  after  a  gallant  resistance 
were  obliged  to  fall  back.  In  these  two  affairs  they 
lost  six  hundred  men- 


264  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLA&. 

In  the  mean  time  Colonel  St.  Leger  had  com- 
menced his  attack  upon  Fort  Stanwix,  which  was 
defended  by  seven  hundred  men.  The  American 
General  Herkimer  advanced  with  one  thousand 
men  to  its  relief.  Colonel  St.  Leger  detached  Sir 
John  Johnson  with  a  party  of  regulars  and  a  num- 
ber of  Indians,  who  had  accompanied  him,  to  meet 
them.  The  enemy  advanced  incautiously  and  fell 
into  an  ambush.  A  terrible  fire  was  poured  into 
them,  and  the  Indians  then  rushed  down  and  at- 
tacked them  hand  to  hand.  The  Americans,  al- 
though taken  by  surprise,  fought  bravely  and 
succeeded  in  making  their  retreat,  leaving  four 
hundred  killed  and  wounded  behind  them. 

Colonel  St.  Leger  had  no  artillery  which  was 
capable  of  making  any  impression  on  the  defenses 
of  the  fort.  Its  commander  sent  out  a  man  who, 
pretending  to  be  a  deserter,  entered  the  British 
camp  and  informed  Colonel  St.  Leger  that  General 
Burgoyne  had  been  defeated  and  his  army  cut  to 
pieces,  and  that  General  Arnold,  with  two  thousand 
men,  was  advancing  to  raise  the  siege.  Colonel  St. 
Leger  did  not  credit  the  news,  but  it  created  a  panic 
among  the  Indians,  the  greater  portion  of  whom  at 
once  retired  without  orders,  and  St.  Leger  having 
but  a  small  British  force  with  him  was  compelled  to 
follow  their  example,  leaving  his  artillery  and  stores 
behind  him. 

On  September  13  General  Burgoyne,  having  with 
immense  labor  collected  thirty  days'  provisions  on 
the  Hudson,  crossed  the  river  by  a  bridge  of  boats 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  265 

and  encamped  on  the  heights  of  Saratoga.  His 
movements  had  been  immensely  hampered  by  the 
vast  train  of  artillery  which  he  took  with  him.  In 
an  open  country  a  powerful  force  of  artillery  is  of 
the  greatest  service  to  an  army,  but  in  a  campaign 
in  a  wooded  and  roadless  country  it  is  of  little  utility 
and  enormously  hampers  the  operations  of  an  army. 
Had  General  Burgoyne,  after  the  capture  of  Ticon- 
deroga,  pressed  forward  in  light  order  without 
artillery  he  could  unquestionably  have  marched 
to  New  York  without  meeting  with  any  serious 
opposition,  but  the  six  weeks'  delay  had  enabled 
the  Americans  to  collect  a  great  force  to  oppose 
him. 

On  the  19th,  as  the  army  were  advancing  to  Still- 
water,  five  thousand  of  the  enem}^  attacked  the 
British  right.  They  were  led  by  General  Arnold 
and  fought  with  great  bravery  and  determination. 
The  brunt  of  the  battle  fell  on  the  Twentieth, 
Twenty-fourth,  and  Sixty-second  Regiments.  For 
four  hours  the  fight  continued  without  any  advan- 
tage on  either  side,  and  at  nightfall  the  Americans 
drew  off,  each  side  having  lost  about  six  hundred 
men.  After  the  battle  of  Stillwater  the  whole  of 
the  Indians  with  General  Burgoyne  left  him  and 
returned  to  Canada. 

Hampered  with  his  great  train  of  artillery,  un- 
provided with  transportation,  in  the  face  of  a  power- 
ful enemy  posted  in  an  exceedingly  strong  position, 
General  Burgoyne  could  neither  advance  nor  re- 
treat. The  forage  was  exhausted  and  the  artillery 


266  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

horses  were  dying  in  great  numbers.  He  had 
hoped  that  Sir  William  Howe  would  have  sailed 
up  the  Hudson  and  joined  him,  but  the  English 
commander-in-chief  had  taken  his  army  down  to 
Philadelphia.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  commanded 
at  New  York,  endeavored  with  a  small  force  at 
his  command  to  make  a  diversion  by  operating 
against  the  American  posts  on  the  Hudson  River, 
but  this  was  of  no  utility. 

Burgoyne's  army  was  now  reduced  to  little  more 
than  five  thousand  men,  and  he  determined  to  fall 
back  upon  the  lakes.  Before  doing  this,  however, 
it  would  be  necessary  to  dislodge  the  American? 
from  their  posts  on  his  left.  Leaving  the  camp 
under  the  command  of  General  Hamilton,  Bur 
goyne  advanced  with  fifteen  hundred  men  against 
them.  But  scarcely  had  the  detachment  start- 
ed when  the  enemy  made  a  furious  attack 
on  the  British  left.  Major  Ackland,  with  the 
grenadiers,  was  posted  here,  and  for  a  time  defend- 
ed himself  with  great  bravery.  The  light  infantry 
and  Twenty-fourth  were  sent  to  their  assistance,  but, 
overpowered  by  numbers,  the  left  wing  was  forced 
to  retreat  into  their  intrenchments.  These  the 
enemy,  led  by  General  Arnold,  at  once  attacked 
with  great  impetuosity.  For  a  long  time  the  result 
was  doubtful,  and  it  was  not  until  the  American 
leader  was  wounded  that  the  attack  ceased.  IE 
the  mean  time  the  intrenchments  defended  by  the 
German  troops  under  Colonel  Breyman  had  alsc 
been  attacked.  Here  the  fight  was  obstinate,  but 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  267 

the  German  intrenchments  were  carried,  Colonel 
Breyrnan  killed,  and  his  troops  retreated  with  the 
loss  of  all  their  baggage  and  artillery.  Two  hun- 
dred prisoners  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 

That  night  the  British  army  was  concentrated  on 
the  heights  above  the  hospital.  General  Gates, 
who  commanded  the  Americans,  moved  his  army  so 
as  to  entirely  inclose  the  British,  and  the  latter,  on 
the  night  of  October  8,  retired  to  Saratoga,  being 
obliged  to  leave  all  their  sick  and  wounded  in 
hospital.  These  were  treated  with  the  greatest 
kindness  by  the  Americans.  An  attempt  was  now 
made  to  retreat  to  Fort  George  or  Fort  Edward, 
but  the  Americans  had  taken  up  positions  on  each 
road  and  fortified  them  with  cannon. 

Only  about  thirty-five  hundred  fighting  men 
now  remained,  of  whom  but  one-half  were  Brit- 
ish, and  scarcely  eight  days'  provisions  were  left. 
The  enemy,  four  times  superior  in  point  of  num- 
bers, held  every  line  of  retreat  and  eluded  every 
attempt  of  the  British  to  force  them  to  a  general 
engagement. 

The  position  was  hopeless,  and  on  October  13  a 
council  of  war  was  held  and  it  was  determined  to 
open  negotiations  for  a  surrender.  Two  days  were 
spent  in  negotiations,  and  it  was  finally  agreed 
that  the  army  should  lay  down  its  arms  and  that  it 
should  be  marched  to  Boston,  and  there  allowed  to 
sail  for  England  on  condition  of  not  serving  again 
in  North  America  during  the  contest.  The  Cana- 
dians were  to  be  allowed  to  return  at  once  to  their 


268  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

own  country.  On  the  16th  the  army  laid  do\vn 
its  arms.  It  consisted  of  thirty-five  hundred 
fighting  men  and  six  hundred  sick  and  nearly 
two  thousand  boatmen,  teamsters,  and  other  non- 
effectives. 

Never  did  a  general  behave  with  greater  incom- 
petence than  that  manifested  by  General  Burgoyne 
from  the  day  of  his  leaving  Ticonderoga,  and  the 
disaster  which  befell  his  army  was  entirely  the  re- 
sult of  mismanagement,  procrastination,  and  faulty 
generalship. 

Had  Harold  remained  with  the  army  until  its 
surrender  his  share  in  the  war  would  have  been  at 
an  end,  for  the  Canadians,  as  well  as  all  others  who 
laid  down  their  arms,  gave  their  word  of  honor  not 
to  serve  again  during  the  war.  He  had,  however, 
with  Peter  Lam bton  and  Jake,  accompanied  Colonel 
Baum's  detachment  on  its  march  to  Bennington. 
Scouting  in  front  of  the  column,  they  had  ascertained 
the  presence  of  large  numbers  of  the  enemy,  and 
had  by  hastening  back  with  the  news  enabled  the 
German  colonel  to  make  some  preparations  for 
resistance  before  the  attack  was  made  upon  him. 
During  the  fight  that  ensued  the  scouts,  posted 
behind  trees  on  the  German  left,  had  assisted  them 
to  repel  the  attack  from  that  quarter,  and  when  the 
Germans  gave  way  they  effected  their  escape  into 
the  woods  and  managed  to  rejoin  the  army. 

They  had  continued  with  it  until  it  moved  to  the 
hospital  heights  after  the  disastrous  attack  by  the 
Americans  on  their  camp.  General  Burgoyne  then 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


269 


CI 


270  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

sent  for  Peter  Lambton,  who  was,  he  knew,  one  of 
his  most  active  and  intelligent  scouts. 

"  Could  you  make  your  way  through  the  enemy's 
lines  down  to  Ticonderoga  ?"  he  asked. 

"  I  could  try,  general,"  Peter  said.  "  Me  and  the 
party  who  work  with  me  could  get  through  if  any 
one  could,  but  more  nor  that  I  can't  say.  The 
Tanks  are  swarming  around  pretty  thick,  I  reckon, 
but  if  we  have  luck  we  might  make  a  shift  to  get 
through." 

"I  have  hopes,"  the  general  said,  "that  another 
regiment,  for  which  I  asked  General  Carleton,  has 
arrived  there.  Here  is  a  letter  to  General  Powell, 
who  is  in  command,  to  beg  him  to  march  with  all 
his  available  force  and  fall  upon  the  enemy  posted 
on  our  line  of  communication.  Unless  the  new 
regiment  has  reached  him  he  will  not  have  a  suffi- 
cient force  to  attempt  this,  but  if  this  has  come  up 
he  may  be  enabled  to  do  so.  He  is  to  march  in  the 
lightest  order  and  at  full  speed,  so  as  to  take  the 
enemy  by  surprise.  Twelve  hours  before  he  starts 
you  will  bring  me  back  news  of  his  coming  and  I 
will  move  out  to  meet  him.  His  operations  in  their 
rear  will  confuse  the  enemy  and  enable  me  to 
operate  with  a  greater  chance  of  success.  I  tell  you 
this  because  if  you  are  surrounded  and  in  difficulties 
you  may  have  to  destroy  my  dispatch.  You  can 
then  convey  my  instructions  by  word  of  mouth  to 
General  Powell  if  you  succeed  in  getting  through." 

Upon  leaving  headquarters  Peter  joined  his 
friends. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  271 

"  It's  a  risksome  business,"  he  went  on  after  in- 
forming them  of  the  instructions  he  had  received, 
"but  I  don't  know  as  it's  much  more  risksome  than 
stopping  here.  It  don't  seem  to  me  that  this  army 
is  like  to  get  out  of  the  trap  into  which  their  general 
has  led  'em.  Whatever  he  wanted  to  leave  the 
lakes  for  is  more  nor  I  can  tell.  However,  general- 
ing  ain't  my  business,  and  I  wouldn't  change  places 
with  the  old  man  to-day,  not  for  a  big  sum  of 
money.  Now,  chief,  what  do  you  say?  How's 
this  'ere  business  to  be  carried  out  ?" 

The  Seneca,  with  the  five  braves  who  had  from 
the  first  accompanied  them,  were  now  the  only  In- 
dians with  the  British  army.  The  rest  of  the  red- 
skins, disgusted  with  the  dilatory  progress  of  the 
army  and  foreseeing  inevitable  disaster,  had  all  be- 
taken themselves  to  their  homes.  They  were, 
moreover,  angered  at  the  severity  with  which  the 
English  general  had  endeavored  to  suppress  their 
tendency  to  acts  of  cruelty  on  the  defenseless 
settlers.  The  redskin  has  no  idea  of  civilized  war- 
fare. His  sole  notion  of  fighting  is  to  kill,  burn, 
and  destroy,  and  the  prohibition  of  all  irregular 
operations  and  of  the  infliction  of  unnecessary  suffer- 
ing was  in  his  eyes  an  act  of  incomprehensible 
weakness.  The  Seneca  chief  remained  with  the 
army  simply  because  his  old  comrade  did  so.  He 
saw  that  there  was  little  chance  of  plunder,  but  he 
and  his  braves  had  succeeded  in  fair  fight  in  obtain- 
ing many  scalps,  and  would,  at  least,  be  received 
with  high  honor  on  their  return  to  their  tribe. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

A  long  discussion  took  place  between  the  chief 
and  Peter  before  they  finally  decided  upon  the 
best  course  to  be  pursued.  They  were  ignorant  of 
the  country  and  of  the  disposition  of  the  enemy's 
force,  and  could  only  decide  to  act  upon  general 
principles.  They  thought  it  probable  that  the 
Americans  would  be  most  thickly  posted  upon  the 
line  between  the  British  army  and  the  lakes,  and 
their  best  chance  of  success  would  therefore  be  to 
make  their  way  straight  ahead  for  some  distance, 
and  then,  when  they  had  penetrated  the  American 
lines,  to  make  a  long  detour  round  to  the  lakes. 

Taking  four  days'  provisions  with  them,  they 
started  when  nightfall  had  fairly  set  in.  It  was  in- 
tensely dark,  and  in  the  shadows  of  the  woods 
Harold  was  unable  to  see  his  hand  before  him. 
The  Indians  appeared  to  have  a  faculty  of  seeing 
in  the  dark,  for  they  advanced  without  the  slightest 
pause  or  hesitation  and  were  soon  in  the  open 
country.  The  greatest  vigilance  was  now  neces- 
sary. Everywhere  they  could  hear  the  low  hum 
which  betokens  the  presence  of  many  men  gathered 
together.  Sometimes  a  faint  shout  came  to  their 
ears,  and  for  a  long  distance  around  the  glow  in  the 
sky  told  of  many  fires.  The  party  now  advanced 
with  the  greatest  caution,  frequently  halting  while 
the  Indians  went  on  ahead  to  scout ;  and  more  than 
once  they  were  obliged  to  alter  their  direction  as 
they  came  upon  bodies  of  men  posted  across  their 
front.  At  last  they  passed  through  the  line  of 
sentinels,  and  avoiding  all  the  camps  gained  the 
country  in  the  Americans'  rear- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  273 

They  now  struck  off  to  the  right^  and  by  day- 
break were  far  round  beyond  the  American  army, 
on  their  way  to  Ticonderoga.  They  had  walked  for 
fifteen  hours  when  they  halted,  and  it  was  not  until 
late  in  the  afternoon  that  they  continued  their 
journey.  They  presently  struck  the  road  which  the 
army  had  cut  in  its  advance,  and  keeping  parallel 
with  this  through  the  forest  they  arrived  the  next 
morning  at  Fort  Edward.  A  few  hours'  rest  here 
and  they  continued  their  march  to  Ticonderoga. 
This  place  had  been  attacked  by  the  Americans  a 
few  days  previously,  but  the  garrison  had  beaten 
off  the  assailants. 

On  the  march  they  had  seen  many  bodies  of  the 
enemy  moving  along  the  road,  but  their  approach 
had  in  every  case  been  detected  in  time  to  take 
refuge  in  the  forest.  On  entering  the  fort  Peter  at 
once  proceeded  to  General  Powell's  quarters  and 
delivered  the  dispatch  with  which  he  had  been  in- 
trusted. The  general  read  it. 

"  No  reneforcements  have  arrived,"  the  general 
said,  "  and  the  force  here  is  barely  sufficient  to  de- 
fend the  place.  It  would  be  madness  for  me  to  set 
out  on  such  a  march  with  the  handful  of  troops  at 
my  disposal." 

He  then  questioned  Peter  concerning  the  exact 
position  of  the  army,  and  the  latter  had  no  hesita- 
tion in  saying  that  he  thought  the  whole  force 
would  be  compelled  to  lay  down  their  arms  unless 
gome  reinforcements  reached  them  from  below. 

This,  however,  was  not  to  be.     General  Clinton 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 


captured  Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton,  the  latter 
a  very  strong  position,  defended  with  great  resolu- 
tion by  four  hundred  Americans.  The  Seventh  and 
Twenty  -sixth  Regiments  and  a  company  of  grena- 
diers attacked  on  one  side,  the  Sixty-third  Regi- 
ment on  the  other.  They  had  no  cannon  to  cover 
their  advance  and  had  to  cross  ground  swept  by  ten 
pieces  of  artillery.  In  no  event  during  the  war  did 
the  British  fight  with  more  resolution.  Without 
firing  a  shot  they  pressed  forward  to  the  foot  of  the 
works,  climbed  over  each  other's  shoulders  on  to  the 
walls,  and  drove  the  enemy  back.  The  latter  dis- 
charged one  last  volley  into  the  troops  and  then  laid 
down  their  arms.  Notwithstanding  the  slaughter 
effected  by  this  wanton  fire  after  all  possibility  of 
continuing  a  resistance  was  over,  quarter  was  given 
and  not  one  of  the  enemy  was  killed  after  the  fort 
was  taken.  The  British  loss  was  one  hundred  and 
forty  killed  and  wounded  ;  three  hundred  Americans 
were  killed,  wounded,  and  taken  prisoners.  The 
fleet  attacked  the  American  squadron  on  the  river 
and  entirely  destroyed  it.  Beyond  sending  a  flying 
squadron  up  the  river  to  destroy  the  enemy's  boats 
and  stores  of  provisions,  nothing  further  could  be 
done  to  effect  a  diversion  in  favor  of  General 
Burgoyne. 

Four  days  after  Harold's  arrival  at  Ticonderoga 
the  news  of  the  surrender  of  General  Burgoyne 
reached  the  place.  Upon  the  following  day  he 
suggested  to  Peter  Lambton  that  they  should  visit 
the  clearing  of  the  ex-soldier  Cameron  and  see 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


whether  their  interference  had  saved  him  and  his 
family.  Upon  arriving  at  the  spot  whence  Harold 
had  fired  the  shot  which  had  brought  discovery 
upon  them,  they  saw  a  few  charred  stumps  alone 
remaining  of  the  snug  house  which  had  stood  there. 
In  front  of  it,  upon  the  stump  of  a  tree,  Cameron 
himself  was  sitting  in  an  attitude  of  utter  depression. 

They  walked  across  the  clearing  to  the  spot,  but 
although  the  sound  of  their  footsteps  must  have 
reached  his  ear,  the  man  did  not  look  up  until  Har- 
old touched  him  on  the  shoulder. 

"  What  has  happened  ?"  he  asked.  "  Who  has  done 
this  ruin  ?" 

The  man  still  remained  with  his  head  bent  down, 
as  if  he  had  not  heard  the  question. 

"  We  had  hoped  that  you  had  escaped,"  Harold 
went  on.  "  We  were  hidden  in  the  wood  when  we 
saw  those  ruffians  drive  your  wife  and  daughter  out, 
and  it  was  the  shot  from  my  rifle  that  killed  their 
leader  and  brought  them  down  on  us ;  and  a  narrow 
escape  we  had  of  it ;  but  we  hoped  that  we  had 
diverted  them  from  their  determination  to  kill  you 
and  your  family." 

Cameron  looked  up  now. 

"  I  thank  ye,  sir,"  he  said.  "  I  thank  ye  wi'  a' 
my  hairt  for  your  interference  on  our  behalf.  1 
heerd  how  closely  ye  were  beset  that  night  and  how 
ye  escaped.  They  thought  nae  mair  o'  us,  and  when 
the  royal  army  arrived  the  next  day  we  were  safe ; 
but  ye  might  as  weel  ha'  let  the  matter  gang  on — 
better,  indeed,  for  then  I  should  be  deed  instead  o' 


27G  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

suffering.  This  wark,"  and  he  pointed  toward  the 
remains  of  the  house,  "  is  redskin  devilry.  A  fort- 
night sin'  a  band  o'  Indians  fell  upon  us.  I  was 
awa'.  They  killed  my  wife  and  burned  my  house 
and  ha'  carried  off  my  bairn." 

"  "Who  were  they  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"  I  dinna  ken,"  Cameron  replied  ;  "  but  a  neebor 
o'  mine  whose  place  they  attacked,  and  whom  they 
had  scalped  and  left  for  deed,  told  me  that  they 
were  a  band  o'  the  Iroquois  who  had  come  down 
from  Lake  Michigan  and  advanced  wi'  the  British. 
He  said  that  they  with  the  other  redskins  desairted 
when  their  hopes  o'  plunder  were  disappointed,  and 
that  on  their  way  back  to  their  tribes  they  burned 
and  ravaged  every  settlement  they  cam'  across. 
My  neebor  was  an  old  frontiersman ;  he  had  fought 
against  the  tribe  and  knew  their  war-cry.  He  deed 
the  next  day.  He  was  mair  lucky  than  I  am." 

"  The  tarnal  ruffians !"  Peter  exclaimed  ;  "  the 
murdering  varmints  !  and  to  think  of  'em  carrying 
off  that  purty  little  gal  of  yours  !  I  suppose  by  this 
time  they're  at  their  old  game  of  plundering  and 
slaying  on  the  frontier.  It's  naught  to  them  which 
side  they  fight  on ;  scalps  and  plunder  is  all  they 
care  for." 

The  unfortunate  settler  had  sat  down  again  on 
the  log,  the  picture  of  a  broken-hearted  man.  Har- 
old drew  Peter  a  short  distance  away. 

"  Look  here,  Peter,"  he  said.  "  Now  Burgoyne's 
arm}7  has  surrendered  and  winter  is  close  at  hand, 
it  is  certain  that  there  will  be  no  further  operations 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  277 

here,  except  perhaps  that  the  Americans  will  recap- 
ture the  place.  What  do  you  say  to  our  undertak- 
ing an  expedition  on  our  own  account  to  try  and 
get  back  this  poor  fellow's  daughter  ?  I  do  not 
know  whether  the  Seneca  would  join  us,  but  we 
three — of  course  I  count  Jake — and  the  settler  might 
do  something.  I  have  an  old  grudge  against  these 
Iroquois  myself,  as  you  have  heard  ;  and  for  aught 
I  know  they  may  long  ere  this  have  murdered  my 
cousins." 

"  The  Seneca  will  jine,"  Peter  said,  "  willing 
enough.  There's  an  old  feud  between  his  tribe  and 
the  Iroquois.  He'll  jine  fast  enough.  But  mind, 
youngster,  this  ain't  no  child's  play ;  it  ain't  like 
fighting  them  American  clodhoppers.  We'll  have 
to  deal  with  men  as  sharp  as  ourselves,  who  can 
shoot  as  well,  hear  as  well,  see  as  well,  who  are  in 
their  own  country,  and  who  are  a  hundred  to  one 
against  us.  We've  got  hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
miles  to  travel  afore  we  gets  near  'em.  It's  a  big 
job ;  but  if,  when  ye  thinks  it  all  over,  you're  ready 
to  go,  Peter  Lambton  ain't  the  man  to  hold  back. 
As  you  say,  there's  naught  to  do  this  winter,  and 
we  might  as  well  be  doing  this  as  anything  else." 

The  two  men  then  went  back  to  the  settler. 

"Cameron,"  Harold  said,  "it  is  of  no  use  sitting 
here  grieving.  Why  not  be  up  in  pursuit  of  those 
who  carried  off  your  daughter?" 

The  man  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  In  pursuit !"  he  cried  fiercely ;  "  in  pursuit !  Do 
ye  think  Donald  Cameron  wad  be  sitting  here 


278  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

quietly  if  he  kenned  where  to  look  for  his  daughter 
— where  to  find  the  murderers  o'  his  wife?  But 
what  can  I  do  ?  For  three  days  after  I  cam.'  back 
and  found  what  had  happened  I  was  just  mad.  I 
couldna  think  nor  rest,  nor  do  aught  but  throw 
mysel'  on  the  ground  and  pray  to  God  to  tak'  me. 
When  at  last  I  could  think,  it  was  too  late.  It  wad 
hae  mattered  naething  to  me  that  they  were  a , 
hundred  to  one.  If  I  could  ha'  killed  but  one  o* 
them  I  wad  ha'  died  happy ;  but  they  were  gone, 
and  how  could  I  follow  them — how  could  I  find 
them  ?  Tell  me  where  to  look,  mon — show  me  the 
way  ;  and  if  it  be  to  the  ends  o'  the  airth  I  will  go 
after  them." 

""We  will  do  more  than  that,"  Harold  said. 
"  My  friends  and  myself  have  still  with  us  the  seven 
men  who  were  with  us  when  we  were  here  before. 
Five  are  Senecas,  the  other  a  faithful  negro  who 
would  go  through  fire  and  water  for  me.  There  is 
little  chance  of  our  services  being  required  during 
the  winter  with  the  British  army.  We  are  interest- 
ed in  you  and  in  the  pretty  child  we  saw  here,  and 
if  you  will,  we  will  accompany  you  in  the  search 
for  her.  Peter  Lambton  knows  the  country  well, 
and  if  any  one  could  lead  you  to  your  child  and  res- 
cue her  from  those  who  carried  her  off,  he  is  the 
man."  , 

"  Truly !"  gasped  the  Scotchman.  "  And  will  ye 
truly  gang  wi'  me  to  find  my  bairn  ?  May  the  guid 
God  o'  heaven  bless  you  1"  and  the  tears  ran  down 
his  cheeks. 


i"  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  379 

"  Git  your  traps  together  at  once,  man,"  Peter 
said.  "  Let's  go  straight  back  to  the  fort ;  then  I'll 
set  the  matter  before  the  chief,  who  will,  I  warrant 
me,  be  glad  enough  to  jine  the  expedition.  It's 
too  late  to  follow  the  track  of  the  red  varmints ; 
our  best  plan  will  be  to  make  straight  for  the  St. 
Lawrence ;  to  take  a  boat  if  we  can  git  one ;  if  not, 
two  canoes ;  and  to  make  up  the  river  and  along 
Ontario.  Then  we  must  sell  our  boat,  cross  to  Erie, 
and  git  fresh  canoes  and  go  on  by  Detroit  into  Lake 
Huron,  and  so  up  in  the  country  of  these  reptiles. 
"We  shall  have  no  difficulty,  I  reckon,  in  discovering 
the  whereabout  of  the  tribe  which  has  been  away 
on  this  expedition." 

The  Scotchman  took  up  the  rifle. 

"  I  am  ready,"  he  said,  and  without  another  word 
the  party  started  for  the  fort. 

Upon  their  arrival  there  a  consultation  was  held 
with  the  Seneca.  The  prospect  of  an  expedition 
against  his  hereditary  foes  filled  him  with  delight, 
and  three  of  his  braves  also  agreed  to  accompany 
them.  Jake  received  the  news  with  the  remark : 

"  All  right,  Massa  Harold.  It  make  no  odds  to 
dis  chile  whar  he  goes.  You  say  de  word — Jake 
ready." 

Half  an  hour  sufficed  for  making  the  preparations, 
and  they  at  once  proceeded  to  the  point  where  they 
had  hidden  the  two  canoes  on  the  night  when  they 
joined  General  Burgoyne  before  his  advance  upon 
Ticonderoga.  These  were  soon  floating  on  the 
lake,  and  they  started  to  paddle  to  the  mouth  of  the 


280  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

Sorel,  down  this  river  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
thence  to  Montreal.  Their  rifles  they  had  recov- 
ered from  the  lake  upon  the  day  following  that  on 
which  Ticonderoga  was  first  captured,  Deer  Tail 
having  dispatched  to  the  spot  two  of  his  braves, 
who  recovered  them  without  difficulty  by  diving 
and  brought  them  back  to  the  fort. 

At  Montreal  they  stayed  but  a  few  hours.  An 
ample  supply  of  ammunition  was  purchased  and 
provisions  sufficient  for  the  voyage ;  and  then  em- 
barking in  the  two  canoes  they  started  up  the  St. 
Lawrence.  It  was  three  weeks  later  when  they 
arrived  at  Detroit,  which  was  garrisoned  by  a 
British  force.  Here  they  heard  that  there  had  been 
continuous  troubles  with  the  Indians  on  the  frontier; 
that  a  great  many  farms  and  settlements  had  been 
destroyed  and  numbers  of  persons  murdered. 

Their  stay  at  Detroit  was  a  short  one.  Harold 
obtained  no  news  of  his  cousins,  but  there  were  so 
many  tales  told  of  Indian  massacres  that  he  was 
filled  with  apprehension  on  their  account.  Hia 
worst  apprehensions  were  justified  when  the  canoes 
at  length  came  within  sight  of  the  well-remembered 
clearing.  Harold  gave  a  cry  as  he  saw  that  the 
farm-house  no  longer  existed.  The  two  canoes 
were  heaclsd  toward  shore,  and  their  occupants  dis- 
embarked and  walked  toward  the  spot  where  the 
house  had  stood.  The  site  was  marked  by  a  heap 
of  charred  embers.  The  out-houses  had  been 
destroyed,  and  a  few  fowls  were  the  onljr  living 
things  to  be  seen  in  the  fields. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  281 

"  This  here  business  must  have  taken  place  some 
time  ago,"  Peter  said,  breaking  the  silence.  "A 
month,  I  should  say,  or  p'r'aps  more." 

For  a  time  Harold  was  too  moved  to  speak.  The 
thought  of  his  kind  cousins  and  their  brave  girl  all 
murdered  by  the  Indians  filled  him  with  deep  grief. 
At  last  he  said  : 

"  What  makes  you  think  so,  Peter  ?" 

"  It's  easy  enough  to  see  as  it  was  after  the  har- 
vest, for  ye  see  the  fields  is  all  clear.  And  then 
there's  long  grass  shooting  up  through  the  ashes. 
It  would  take  a  full  month,  p'r'aps  six  weeks,  afore 
it  would  do  that.  Don't  you  think  so,  chief  2" 

Tme  Seneca  nodded. 

"  A  moon,"  he  said. 

"Yes,  about  a  month,"  replied  Peter.  "The 
grass  grows  quick  after  the  rains." 

"  Do  you  think  that  it  was  a  surprise,  Peter?" 

"  No  man  can  tell,"  the  hunter  answered.  "  If  we 
had  seen  the  place  soon  afterward  we  might  have 
told.  There  would  have  been  marks  of  blood.  Or 
if  the  house  had  stood  we  could  have  told  by  the 
bullet-holes  and  the  color  of  the  splintered  wood 
how  it  happened  and  how  long  back.  As  it  is,  not 
even  the  chief  can  give  ye  an  idea." 

"  Not  an  attack,"  the  Seneca  said ;  "  a  surprise." 

"How  on  arth  do  you  know  that,  chief ?"  the 
hunter  exclaimed  in  surprise,  and  he  looked  round 
in  search  of  some  sign  which  would  have  enabled 
the  Seneca  to  have  given  so  confident  an  opinion, 
"  You  must  be  a  witch  surely." 


282  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD 

"  A  chiefs  eyes  are  not  blind,"  the  redskin  an- 
swered with  a  slight  smile  of  satisfaction  at  having 
for  once  succeeded  when  his  white  comrade  was  at 
fault.  "  Let  my  friend  look  up  the  hill— two  dead 
men  there." 

Harold  looked  in  the  direction  in  which  the  chief 
pointed,  but  could  see  nothing.  The  hunter  ex- 
claimed : 

"  There's  something  there,  chief,  but  even  my  eyes 
couldn't  tell  they  were  bodies." 

The  party  proceeded  to  the  spot  and  found  two 
skeletons.  A  few  remnants  of  clothes  lay  around, 
but  the  birds  had  stripped  every  particle  of  flesh 
from  the  bones.  There  was  a  bullet  in  the  fore- 
head of  one  skull ;  the  other  was  cleft  with  a  sharp 
instrument. 

"  It's  clear  enough,"  the  hunter  said,  "  there's 
been  a  surprise.  Likely  enough  the  hull  lot  was 
killed  without  a  shot  being  fired  in  defense." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

RESCUED. 

HAROLD  was  deeply  touched  at  the  evidences  of 
the  fate  which  had  befallen  the  occupants  of  his 
cousin's  plantation. 

"  If  there  are  any  more  of  these  to  be  found," 
pointing  to  their  remains,  "  we  might  learn  for  a 
certainty  whether  the  same  fate  befell  them  all." 

The  Seneca  spoke  a  word  to  his  followers  and  the 
four  Indians  spread  themselves  over  the  clearing. 
One  more  body  was  found — it  was  lying  down  near 
the  water  as  if  killed  in  the  act  of  making  for  the 
canoe. 

"  The  others  are  probably  there,"  Peter  said, 
pointing  to  the  ruins.  "  The  three  hands  was  killed 
in  the  fields,  and  most  likely  the  attack  was  made 
at  the  same  moment  on  the  house.  I'm  pretty  sure 
it  was  so,  for  the  body  by  the  water  lies  face  down- 
ward with  his  head  toward  the  lake.  He  was  no 
doubt  shot  from  behind  as  he  was  running.  There 
must  have  been  Injuns  round  the  house  then,  or  he 
would  have  made  for  that  instead  of  the  water." 

The  Seneca  touched  Peter  on  the  shoulder  and 
pointed  toward  the  farm.  A  figure  was  seen  ap- 
proaching. As  it  came  nearer  they  could  see  that 


284  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

he  was  a  tall  man  dressed  in  the  deer-skin  shirt  and 
leggings  usually  worn  by  hunters.  As  he  came  near 
Harold  gave  an  exclamation  : 

"  It  is  Jack  Pearson  !" 

"  It  are  Jack  Pearson,"  the  hunter  said,  "  but  for 
the  moment  I  can't  recollect  ye,  though  yer  face 
seems  known.  "Why  !"  he  exclaimed  in  changed 
tones,  "  it's  that  boy  Harold  growed  into  a  man." 

"  It  is,"  Harold  replied,  grasping  the  frontiers 
man's  hand. 

"And  ye  may  know  me  too,"  Peter  Lambton 
said,  "  though  it's  twenty  year  since  we  fought  side 
by  side  against  the  Mohawks." 

"  "Why,  old  hoss,  are  you  above  ground  still  ?"  the 
hunter  exclaimed  heartily.  "  I'm  glad  to  see  you 
again,  old  friend.  And  what  are  you  doing  here, 
you  and  Harold  and  these  Senecas?  for  they  is 
Senecas  sure  enough.  I've  been  in  the  woods  for 
the  last  hour  and  have  been  puzzling  myself  nigh  to 
death.  I  seed  them  Injuns  going  about  over  the 
clearing  sarching,  and  for  the  life  of  me  I  couldn't 
think  what  they  were  a-doing.  Then  I  seed  'em 
gathered  down  here,  with  two  white  men  among 
'em,  so  I  guessed  it  was  right  to  show  myself." 

"  They  were  searching  to  see  how  many  had 
fallen  in  this  terrible  business,"  Harold  said,  point- 
ing to  the  ruins. 

The  hunter  shook  his  head. 

"  I'm  afeared  they've  all  gone  under.  I  were  here 
a  week  afterward ;  it  were  just  as  it  is  now.  I 
found  the  three  hands  lying  killed  and  sculped  in 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  285 

the  fields ;  the  others,  I  reckon,  is  there.  I  has  no 
doubt  at  all  about  Bill  Welch  and  his  wife,  but  it 
may  be  that  the  gal  has  been  carried  off." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?"  Harold  exclaimed  eagerly  t 
"  If  so,  we  may  find  her  too  with  the  other." 

"  What  other?"  Pearson  asked. 

Harold  gave  briefly  an  account  of  the  reason 
"which  had  brought  them  to  the  spot  and  of  the  ob- 
ject they  had  in  view. 

"  You  can  count  me  in,"  Pearson  said.  u  There's 
just  a  chance  that  Nelly  Welch  may  be  in  their 
hands  still ;  and  in  any  case  I'm  longing  to  draw  a 
bead  on  some  of  the  varmints  to  pay  'em  for  this," 
and  he  looked  round  him,  "and  a  hundred  other 
massacres  round  this  frontier." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  ye  say  so,"  Peter  replied.  "  I 
expected  as  much  of  ye,  Jack.  I  don't  know  much 
of  this  country,  having  only  hunted  here  for  a  few 
weeks  with  a  party  of  Delawares  twenty  year 
afore  the  Iroquois  moved  so  far  west." 

"I  know  pretty  nigh  every  foot  of  it,"  Jack 
Pearson  said.  "When  the  Iroquois  were  quiet  I 
used  to  do  a  deal  of  hunting  in  their  country.  It 
are  good  country  for  game." 

"  Well !  shall  we  set  out  at  once  ?"  Harold  asked, 
impatient  to  be  off. 

"  We  can't  move  to-night,"  Pearson  answered ; 
and  Harold  saw  that  Peter  and  the  Indians  agreed 
with  him. 

"  Why  not  ?"  he  asked.  "  Every  hour  is  of  im- 
portance." 


286  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  That's  so,"  Peter  said,  "  but  there's  no  going 
out  on  the  lake  to-night.  In  half  an  hour  we'll  have 
our  first  snow-storm,  and  by  morning  it  will  be  two 
foot  deep." 

Harold  turned  his  eyes  toward  the  lake  and  saw 
what  his  companions  had  noticed  long  before.  The 
sky  was  overcast  and  a  thick  bank  of  hidden  clouds 
was  rolling  up  across  the  lake,  and  the  thick  mist 
seemed  to  hang  between  the  clouds  and  the  water. 

"  That's  snow,"  Peter  said.  "  It's  late  this  year, 
and  I'd  give  my  pension  if  it  was  a  month  later." 

"That's  so,"  Pearson  said.  "Snow  ain't  never 
pleasant  in  the  woods,  but  when  you're  scouting 
round  among  Injuns  it  are  a  caution.  We'd  best 
make  a  shelter  afore  it  comes  on." 

The  two  canoes  were  lifted  from  the  water,  un- 
loaded, and  turned  bottom  upward  ;  a  few  charred 
planks  which  had  formed  part  of  the  roof  of  the  out- 
houses were  brought  and  put  up  to  form  a  sort  of 
shelter.  A  fire  was -lit  and  a  meal  prepared.  By 
this  time  the  snow  had  begun  to  fall.  After  the 
meal  was  over  pipes  were  lit  and  the  two  hunters 
earnestly  talked  over  their  plans,  the  Seneca  chief 
throwing  in  a  few  words  occasionally  ;  the  others 
listened  quietly.  The  Indians  left  the  matter  in  the 
hands  of  their  chief,  while  Harold  and  Cameron 
knew  that  the  two  frontiersmen  did  not  need  any 
suggestion  from  them.  As  to  Jake,  the  thought  of 
asking  questions  never  entered  his  mind.  He  was 
just  at  present  less  happy  than  usual,  for  the  negro, 
like  most  of  his  race,  hated  cold,  and  the  prospect 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  287 

of  wandering  through  the  woods  in  deep  snow  made 
him  shudder  as  he  crouched  close  to  the  great  fire 
they  had  built. 

Peter  and  Jack  Pearson  were  of  opinion  that  it 
was  exceedingly  probable  that  the  Welches  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  very  band  which  had  carried 
off  little  Janet  Cameron.  The  bodies  of  Indians 
who  had  been  on  the  war-path  with  the  army  had 
retired  some  six  weeks  before,  and  it  was  about  that 
time  Pearson  said  that  the  attack  on  the  settle- 
ments had  been  made. 

"  I  heard  some  parties  of  redskins  who  had  been 
with  the  British  troops  had  passed  through  the 
neighborhood,  and  there  was  reports  that  they  were 
greatly  onsatisfied  with  the  results  of  the  cam- 
paign. As  likely  as  not  some  of  that  band  may 
have  been  consarned  in  the  attack  on  this  place 
three  year  ago,  and  passing  nigh  it  may  have  de- 
termined to  wipe  out  that  defeat.  An  Injun  never 
forgives.  Many  of  their  braves  fell  here,  and  they 
could  scarcely  bring  a  more  welcome  trophy  back 
to  their  villages  than  the  scalps  of  Welch  and  his 
men." 

"  Now,  the  first  thing  to  do,"  Peter  said,  "  is  to 
find  out  what  particular  chief  took  his  braves  with 
him  to  the  war ;  then  we've  got  to  find  his  village  ; 
and  there  likely  enough  we'll  find  Cameron's  daugh- 
ter and  maybe  the  girl  from  here.  How  old  was 
she  ?" 

"  About  fifteen,"  Pearson  said,  "  and  a  fine  girl, 
and  a  pretty  girl  too.  I  dun  know,"  he  went  on 


288  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

after  a  pause,  "  which  of  the  chiefs  took  part  in  the 
war  across  the  lakes,  but  I  suspect  it  were  "War 
Eagle.  There's  three  great  chiefs,  and  the  other 
two  were  trading  on  the  frontier.  It  was  War 
Eagle  who  attacked  the  place  afore,  and  would  be 
the  more  likely  to  attack  it  again  if  he  came  any- 
wheres near  it.  He  made  a  mess  of  it  afore  and'd 
be  burning  to  wipe  out  his  failure  if  he  had  a 
chance." 

"  Where  is  his  place  ?" 

"  His  village  is  the  furthest  of  them  all  from 
here.  He  lives  up  near  the  falls  of  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  betwixt  Lakes  Superior  and  Huron.  It's  a 
village  with  nigh  three  hundred  wigwams." 

"  It  ain't  easy  to  see  how  it's  to  be  done.  We 
must  make  to  the  north  shore  of  the  lake.  There'll 
be  no  working  down  here  through  the  woods,  but 
it's  a  pesky  difficult  job — about  as  hard  a  one  as 
ever  I  took  part  in." 

"  It  is  that,"  Pearson  said ;  "  it  can't  be  denied. 
To  steal  two  white  girls  out  of  a  big  Injun  village 
ain't  a  easy  job  at  no  time ;  but  with  the  snow  on 
the  ground  it  comes  as  nigh  to  an  impossibility  as 
anything  can  do." 

For  another  hour  or  two  they  talked  over  the 
route  they  should  take  and  their  best  mode  of  pro- 
ceeding. Duncan  Cameron  sat  and  listened  with 
an  intent  face  to  every  word.  Since  he  had  joined 
them  he  had  spoken  but  seldom ;  his  whole  soul  was 
taken  up  with  the  thought  of  his  little  daughter. 
He  was  ever  ready  to  do  his  share  and  more  than 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  289 

his  share  of  the  work  of  paddling  and  at  the  port- 
ages, but  he  never  joined  in  the  conversation ;  and 
of  an  evening,  when  the  others  sat  round  the  fire, 
he  would  move  away  and  pace  backward  and  for- 
ward in  anxious  thought  until  the  fire  burned  low 
and  the  party  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets 
and  went  off  to  sleep. 

All  the  time  the  conversation  had  been  going  on 
the  snow  had  fallen  heavily,  and  before  it  was  con- 
cluded the  clearing  was  covered  deep  with  the 
white  mantle.  There  was  little  wind  and  the  snow 
fell  quietly  and  noiselessly.  At  night  the  Indians 
lay  down  round  the  fire,  while  the  white  men  crept 
under  the  canoes  and  were  soon  fast  asleep.  In  the 
morning  it  was  still  snowing,  but  about  noon  it 
cleared  up.  It  was  freezing  hard,  and  the  snow 
glistened  as  the  sun  burst  though  the  clouds.  The 
stillness  of  the  forest  was  broken  now  by  sharp 
cracking  sounds  as  boughs  of  trees  gave  way  under 
the  weight  of  snow ;  in  the  open  it  lay  more  than 
two  feet  deep. 

"  Now,"  Peter  said,  "  the  sooner  we're  off  the 
better." 

"I'll  come  in  my  own  canoe,"  Pearson  said. 
"  One  of  the  Injuns  can  come  with  me  and  we'll 
keep  up  with  the  rest." 

"There  is  room  for  you  in  the  other  canoes," 
Harold  said. 

"Plenty  of  room,"  the  hunter  answered.  "But 
you  see,  Harold,  the  more  canoes  the  better.  There 
ain't  no  saying  how  close  we  may  be  chased,  and 


290  T&UE  TO  THfi  OLD  FLAG. 

by  hiding  up  the  canoes  at  different  places  we  give 
ourselves  so  much  more  chance  of  being  able  to  get 
to  one  or  the  other.  They're  all  large  canoes,  and 
at  a  pinch  any  one  of  them  might  hold  the  hull 
party,  with  the  two  gals  throwed  in.  But,"  he 
added  to  Harold  in  a  low  voice,  "don't you  build  too 
much  on  these  gals,  Harold.  I  wouldn't  say  so 
while  that  poor  fellow's  listening,  but  the  chance  is 
a  desperate  poor  one,  and  I  think  we'll  be  mighty 
lucky  ef  we  don't  leave  all  our  scalps  in  that  'ere 
redskin  village." 

The  traps  were  soon  placed  in  the  canoes,  and 
just  as  the  sun  burst  out  the  three  boats  started.  It 
was  a  long  and  toilsome  journey.  Stormy  weather 
set  in,  and  they  were  obliged  to  wait  for  days  by 
the  lake  till  its  surface  calmed.  On  these  occasions 
they  devoted  themselves  to  hunting  and  killed 
several  deer.  They  knew  that  there  were  no  Indian 
villages  near,  and  in  such  weather  it  would  be  im- 
probable that  any  redskins  would  be  in  the  woods. 
They  were  enabled,  therefore,  to  fire  without  fear 
of  the  reports  betraying  their  presence.  The  Senecas 
took  the  opportunity  of  fabricating  snow-shoes  for 
the  whole  party,  as  these  would  be  absolutely 
necessary  for  walking  in  the  woods.  Harold,  Jake, 
and  Duncan  Cameron  at  once  began  to  practice 
their  use.  The  negro  was  comical  in  the  extreme 
in  his  first  attempts,  and  shouted  so  loudly  with 
laughter  each  time  that  he  fell  head  foremost  into 
the  snow  that  Peter  said  to  him  angrily : 

"  Look  a-here,  Jake,  it's  dangerous  enough  letting 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  291 

off  a  rifle  at  a  deer  in  these  woods,  but  it  has  to  be 
done  because  we  must  lay  in  a  supply  of  food ;  but 
a  musket-shot  is  a  mere  whisper  to  yer  shouting. 
Thunder  ain't  much  louder  than  you  laughing — it 
shakes  the  hull  place  and  might  be  heard  from  here 
well-nigh  to  Montreal.  Ef  you  can't  keep  that 
mouth  of  your'n  shut  ye  must  give  up  the  idee  of 
learning  to  use  them  shoes  and  must  stop  in  the 
canoe  while  we're  scouting  on  shore." 

Jake  promised  to  amend,  and  from  this  time  when 
he  fell  in  the  soft  snow-wreaths  he  gave  no  audible 
vent  to  his  amusement ;  but  a  pair  of  great  feet, 
with  the  snow-shoes  attached,  could  be  seen  waving 
above  the  surface  until  he  was  picked  up  and  righted 
again. 

Harold  soon  learned,  and  Cameron  went  at  the 
work  with  grim  earnestness.  No  smile  ever  crossed 
his  face  at  his  own  accidents  or  at  the  wild  vagaries 
of  Jake,  which  excited  silent  amusement  even 
among  the  Indians.  In  a  short  time  the  falls  were 
less  frequent,  and  by  the  time  they  reached  the  spot 
where  they  were  determined  to  cross  the  lake  at 
the  point  where  Lakes  Huron  and  Michigan  join, 
the  three  novices  were  able  to  make  fair  progress  in 
the  snow-shoes. 

The  spot  fixed  upon  was  about  twelve  miles  from 
the  village  of  War  Eagle,  and  the  canoes  were 
hidden  at  distances  of  three  miles  apart.  First 
Pearson,  Harold,  and  Cameron  disembarked  ;  Jake, 
Peter,  and  one  of  the  Indians  alighted  at  the  next 
point;  and  the  Seneca  chief  and  two  of  his  followers 


292  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

proceeded  to  the  spot  nearer  to  the  Indian  village. 
Each  party  as  they  landed  struck  straight  into  the 
woods,  to  unite  at  a  point  eight  miles  from  the  lake 
and  as  many  from  the  village.  The  hunters  had 
agreed  that  should  any  Indians  come  across  the 
tracks,  less  suspicion  would  be  excited  than  would 
have  been  the  case  were  they  found  skirting  the 
river,  as  it  might  be  thought  that  they  were  made 
by  Indians  out  hunting. 

Harold  wondered  how  the  other  parties  would 
find  the  spot  to  which  Pearson  had  directed  them, 
but  in  due  time  all  arrived  at  the  rendezvous. 
After  some  search  a  spot  was  found  where  the 
under  wood  grew  thickly,  and  there  was  an  open  place 
in  the  center  of  the  clump.  In  this  the  camp  was 
established.  It  was  composed  solely  of  a  low  tent 
of  about  two  feet  high,  made  of  deers'  hides  sewed 
together,  and  large  enough  to  shelter  them  all. 
The  snow  was  cleared  away,  sticks  were  driven  into 
the  frozen  ground,  and  strong  poles  laid  across  them  ; 
the  deer-skin  was  then  laid  flat  upon  these.  The 
top  was  little  higher  than  the  general  level  of  the 
snow,  an  inch  or  two  of  snow  was  scattered  over  it, 
and  to  any  one  passing  outside  the  bushes  the  tent 
was  completely  invisible. 

The  Indians  now  went  outside  the  thicket  and 
with  great  care  obliterated,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
marks  upon  the  snow.  This  could  not  be  wholly 
done,  but  it  was  so  far  complete  that  the  slightest 
wind  which  would  send  a  drift  over  the  surface 
would  wholly  conceal  all  traces  of  passage. 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  293 

They  had  before  crossing  the  lake  cooked  a 
supply  of  food  sufficient  for  some  days.  Intense  as 
was  the  cold  outside,  it  was  perfectly  warm  in  the 
tent.  The  entrance  as  they  crept  into  it  was  closed 
with  a  blanket,  and  in  the  center  a  lamp  composed 
of  deer's  fat  in  a  calabash  with  a  cotton  wick  gave 
a  sufficient  light. 

"  What  is  the  next  move  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"The  chief  11  start,  when  it  comes  dusk,  with 
Pearson,"  Peter  said.  "  When  they  git  close  to  the 
village  he'll  go  in  alone.  He'll  paint  Iroquois 
before  he  goes." 

"  Cannot  we  be  near  at  hand  to  help  them  in  case 
of  a  necessity  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"  No,"  Peter  said.  "  It  wouldn't  be  no  good  at 
all.  Ef  it  comes  to  fighting  they're  fifty  to  one, 
and  the  lot  of  us  would  have  no  more  chance  than 
two.  If  they're  found  out,  which  ain't  likely,  they 
must  run  for  it,  and  they  can  get  over  the  snow  a  deal 
faster  than  you  could,  to  say  nothing  of  Cameron 
and  Jake.  They  must  shift  for  themselves  and'll 
make  straight  for  the  nearest  canoe.  In  the 
forest  they  must  be  run  down  sooner  or  later, 
for  their  tracks  would  be  plain.  No,  they  must  go 
alone." 

When  night  came  on  the  Seneca  produced  his 
paints,  and  one  of  his  followers  marked  his  face  and 
arms  with  the  lines  and  flourishes  in  use  by  the 
Iroquois ;  then  without  a  word  of  adieu  he  took  his 
rifle  and  glided  out  from  the  tent,  followed  by  Pear- 
son. Peter  also  put  on  his  snow-shoes  and  prepared 
to  follow. 


294  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  to  stay  here,  Peter." 

"  No,  I'm  going  half-way  with  'em.  I'll  be  able 
to  hear  the  sound  of  a  gun.  Then  ef  they're  trapped 
we  must  make  tracks  for  the  canoes  at  once,  for 
after  following  'em  to  the  lake  they're  safe  to  take 
up  their  back  track  to  see  where  they've  come  from; 
so  ef  I  hear  a  gun  I'll  make  back  here  as  quick 
as  I  can  come." 

"When  the  three  men  had  started  silence  fell  on 
the  tent.  The  redskins  at  once  lay  down  to  sleep 
and  Jake  followed  their  example.  Harold  lay  quiet 
thinking  over  the  events  which  had  happened  to 
him  in  the  last  three  years,  while  Cameron  lay  with 
his  face  turned  toward  the  lamp  with  a  set  anxious 
look  on  his  face.  Several  times  he  crawled  to  the 
entrance  and  listened  when  the  crack  made  by 
some  breaking  bough  came  to  his  ear.  Hours 
passed  and  at  last  Harold  dozed  off,  but  Cam- 
eron's eyes  never  closed  until  about  midnight 
the  blanket  at  the  entrance  moved  and  Peter  en- 
tered. 

"  Hae  ye  seen  the  ithers  ?"  Cameron  exclaimed. 

"  No,  and  were  not  likely  to,"  Peter  answered. 
"  It  was  all  still  to  the  time  I  came  away,  and  afore 
I  moved  I  was  sure  they  must  have  left  the  village. 
They  won't  come  straight  back,  bless  ye ;  they'll  go 
'way  in  the  opposite  direction  and  make  a  sweep 
miles  round.  They  may  not  be  here  for  hours  yet ; 
not  that  there's  much  chance  of  their  tracks  being 
traced.  It  has  not  snowed  for  over  a  week,  and  the 
snow  round  the  village  must  be  trampled  thick  for 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  295 

a  mile  and  more  with  the  squaws  coming  and  going 
for  wood  and  the  hunters  going  out  on  the  chase. 
I've  crossed  a  dozen  tracks  or  more  on  my  way 
back.  Ef  it  wasn't  for  that  we  daren't  have  gone 
at  all,  for  ef  the  snow  was  new  fallen  the  sight  of 
fresh  tracks  would  have  set  the  first  Injun  that 
come  along  a-wondering;  and  when  a  redskin 
begins  to  wonder  he  sets  to  to  ease  his  mind  at 
once  by  finding  out  all  about  it,  ef  it  takes  him  a 
couple  of  days'  sarch  to  do  so.  No,  you  can  lie 
down  now  for  some  hours.  They  won't  be  here  till 
morning." 

So  saying,  the  scout  set  the  example  by  wrapping 
himself  up  and  going  to  sleep,  but  Cameron's  eyes 
never  closed  until  the  blanket  was  drawn  on  one 
side  again  and  in  the  a;ray  light  of  the  winter 
morning  the  Seneca  and  Pearson  crawled  into  the 
tent. 

"  What  news  ?"  Harold  asked,  for  Cameron  was 
too  agitated  to  speak. 

"  Both  gals  are  there,"  Pearson  answered. 

An  exclamation  of  thankfulness  broke  from. 
Harold.  A  sob  of  joy  issued  from  the  heart  of  the 
Scotchman,  and  for  a  few  minutes  his  lips  moved 
as  he  poured  forth  his  silent  thankfulness  to  God. 

"  Waal,  tell  us  all  about  it,"  Peter  said.  "  I  can 
ask  the  chief  any  questions  afterward." 

"  We  went  on  straight  enough  to  the  village,"  the 
hunter  began.  "  It  are  larger  than  when  I  saw  it 
last,  and  War  Eagle's  influence  in  the  tribe  must 
have  increased.  I  didn't  expect  to  find  no  watch, 


296  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  redskins  having,  so  far  as  they  knew,  no  enemies 
within  five  hundred  mile  of  'em.  There  was  a  lot 
of  fires  burning  and  plenty  of  redskins  moving  about 
among  'em.  We  kept  on  till  we  got  quite  close,  and 
then  we  lay  up  for  a  time  below  a  tree  at  the  edge 
of  the  clearing.  There  were  a  sight  too  many  of 
'em  about  for  the  Seneca  to  go  in  yet  awhile.  About 
half  an  hour  arter  we  got  there  we  saw  two  white 
gals  come  outen  one  of  the  wigwams  and  stand  for 
awhile  to  warm  theirselves  by  one  of  the  fires.  The 
tallest  of  the  two,  well-nigh  a  woman,  was  Nelly 
Welch.  I  knew  her,  in  course.  The  other  was 
three  or  four  years  younger,  with  yaller  hair  over 
her  shoulders.  Nelly  seemed  quiet  and  sad-like,  but 
the  other  'peared  more  at  home — she  laughed  with 
some  of  the  redskin  gals  and  even  jined  in  their 
play.  You  see,"  he  said,  turning  to  Cameron,  "  she'd 
been  captured  longer  and  children's  spirits  soon  rise 
again.  Arter  awhile  they  went  back  to  the  wig- 
wam. When  the  fires  burned  down  and  the  crowd 
thinned  and  there  was  only  a  few  left  sitting  in  groups 
round  the  embers,  the  Seneca  started.  For  a  long 
time  I  saw  nothing  of  him,  but  once  or  twice  I 
thought  I  saw  a  figure  moving  among  the  wigwams. 
Presently  the  fires  burned  quite  down  and  the  last 
Injun  went  off.  I  had  begun  to  wonder  what  the 
chief  was  doing,  when  he  stood  beside  me.  We 
made  tracks  at  once  and  have  been  tramping  in  a 
long  circle  all  night.  The  chief  can  tell  ye  his  part 
of  the  business  hisself." 

"  Well,  chief,  what  have  you  found  out  ?"  Peter 
asked. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  297 

The  Indian  answered  in  his  native  tongue,  which 
Peter  interpreted  from  time  to  time  for  the  benefit 
of  his  white  companions: 

"  When  Deer  Tail  left  the  white  hunter  he  went 
into  the  village.  It  was  no  use  going  among  the 
men,  and  he  went  round  by  the  wigwams  and 
listened  to  the  chattering  of  the  squaws.  The  tribe 
were  all  well  contented,  for  the  band  brought  back 
a  great  deal  of  plunder  which  they  had  picked  up 
on  their  way  back  from  the  army.  They  had  lost 
no  braves  and  every  one  was  pleased.  The  destruc- 
tion of  the  settlement  of  the  white  man  who  had 
repulsed  them  before  was  a  special  matter  for  re- 
joicing. The  scalps  of  the  white  man  and  his  wife 
are  in  the  village.  War  Eagle's  son,  Young  Elk,  is 
going  to  marry  the  white  girl.  There  are  several 
of  the  braves  whose  heads  have  been  turned  by  her 
white  skin  and  her  bright  eyes,  but  Young  Elk 
is  going  to  have  her.  There  have  been  great  feast- 
ings  and  rejoicings  since  the  return  of  the  warriors, 
but  they  are  to  be  joined  to-morrow  by  Beaver's 
band,  and  then  they  will  feast  again.  When  all  was 
quiet  I  went  to  the  wigwam  where  the  white  girls 
are  confined.  An  old  squaw  and  two  of  War  Eagle's 
daughters  are  with  them.  Deer  Tail  had  listened 
while  they  prepared  for  rest  and  knew  on  which 
side  of  the  wigwam  the  tall  white  maiden  slept. 
He  thought  that  she  would  be  awake.  Her  heart 
would  be  sad  and  sleep  would  not  come  to  her  soon, 
so  he  crept  round  there  and  cut  a  slit  in  the  skin 
close  to  where  she  lay.  He  put  his  head  in  at  the 


298  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

hole  and  whispered,  'Do  not  let  the  white  girl  be 
afraid;  it  is  a  friend.  Does  she  hear  him?'  She 
whispered,  '  Yes.'  '  Friends  are  near,'  he  said. 
'The  young  warrior,  Harold,  whom  she  knows,  and 
others,  are  at  hand  to  take  her  away.  The  Iroquois 
will  be  feasting  to-morrow  night.  When  she  hears 
the  cry  of  a  night-owl  let  her  steal  away  with  her 
little  white  sister  and  she  will  find  her  friends 
•waiting.'  Then  Deer  Tail  closed  the  slit  and  stole 
away  to  his  friend  the  white  hunter.  I  have 
spoken." 

"  Jest  what  I  expected  of  you,  chief,"  Peter  said 
warmly.  "  I  thought  as  how  you'd  manage  to  git 
speech  with  'em  somehow.  If  there's  a  feast  to- 
night it's  hard  ef  we  don't  manage  to  get  'em  off." 

"  I  suppose  we  must  lie  still  all  day,  Peter." 

"  You  must  so,"  the  hunter  said.  "Not  a  soul 
must  show  his  nose  outside  the  tent  except  that  one 
of  the  redskins'll  keep  watch  to  be  sure  that  no 
straggler  has  come  across  our  tracks  and  followed 
'em  up.  Ef  he  was  to  do  that  he  might  bring  the 
hull  gang  down  on  us.  Ye'd  best  get  as  much  sleep 
as  ye  can,  for  ye  don't  know  when  ye  may  get  an- 
other chance." 

At  nightfall  the  whole  party  issued  from  the  tent 
and  started  toward  the  Indian  village.  All  ar- 
rangements had  been  made.  It  was  agreed  that 
Pearson  and  the  Seneca  should  go  up  to  the  village, 
the  former  being  chosen  because  he  was  known  to 
Nelly.  Peter  and  one  of  the  redskins  were  to  take 
post  a  hundred  yards  further  back  ready  to  give 


TRUE  TO  TEW  OLD  FLAQ.  299 

assistance  in  case  of  alarm,  while  the  rest  were  to 
remain  about  half  a  mile  distant.  Cameron  had 
asked  that  he  might  go  with  the  advance  party,  but 
upon  Peter  pointing  out  to  him  that  his  com- 
paratively slow  rate  of  progression  in  snow-shoes 
would,  in  case  of  discovery,  lead  to  the  recapture 
of  the  girls,  he  at  once  agreed  to  the  decision.  If 
the  flight  of  the  girls  was  discovered  soon  after 
leaving  the  camp,  it  was  arranged  that  the  Seneca 
and  Peter  should  hurry  at  once  with  them  to  the 
main  body,  while  the  other  two  Indians  should 
draw  off  their  pursuers  in  another  direction.  In 
the  event  of  anything  occurring  to  excite  the 
suspicion  of  the  Indians  before  there  was  a  chance 
of  the  girls  being  brought  safely  to  the  main  body, 
they  were  to  be  left  to  walk  quietly  back  to  camp, 
as  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Indians. 
Peter  and  the  Seneca  were  then  to  work  round  by  a 
circuitous  route  to  the  boat,  where  they  were  to  be 
joined  by  the  main  body,  and  to  draw  off  until  an- 
other opportunity  offered  for  repeating  the  at- 
tempt. 

It  was  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  when  Pearson 
and  the  Seneca  approached  the  village.  The  fires 
were  burning  high,  and  seated  round  them  were  all 
the  warriors  of  the  tribe.  A  party  were  engaged 
in  a  dance  representing  the  pursuit  and  defeat  of  an 
enemy.  The  women  were  standing  in  an  outer 
circle  clapping  their  hands  and  raising  their  voices 
in  loud  cries  of  applause  and  excitement  as  the 
dance  became  faster  and  faster.  The  warriors 


300  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

bounded  high,  brandishing  their  tomahawks.  A 
better  time  could  not  have  been  chosen  for  the 
evasion  of  the  fugitives.  Nelly  Welch  stood  close 
to  a  number  of  Indian  girls,  but  slightly  behind 
them.  She  held  the  hand  of  little  Janet  Cameron. 

Although  she  appeared  to  share  in  the  interest  of 
the  Indians  in  the  dance,  a  close  observer  would 
have  had  no  difficulty  in  perceiving  that  Nelly  was 
preoccupied.  She  was,  indeed,  intently  listening  for 
the  signal.  She  was  afraid  to  move  from  among 
the  others  lest  her  absence  should  be  at  once  de- 
tected, but  so  long  as  the  noise  was  going  on  she 
despaired  of  being  able  to  hear  the  signal  agreed 
upon.  Presently  an  Indian  brave  passed  close  to 
her,  and  as  he  did  so  whispered  in  her  ear  in 
English,  "Behind  your  wigwam — friends  there." 
Then  he  passed  on  and  moved  round  the  circle  as  if 
intending  to  take  his  seat  at  another  point. 

The  excitement  of  the  dance  was  momentarily 
increasing,  and  the  attention  of  the  spectators  was 
riveted  to  the  movements  of  the  performers.  Hold- 
ing Janet's  hand,  Nelly  moved  noiselessly  away 
from  the  place  where  she  had  been  standing.  The 
movement  was  unnoticed,  as  she  was  no  longer 
closely  watched,  a  flight  in  the  depth  of  winter  ap- 
pearing impossible.  She  kept  round  the  circle  till 
no  longer  visible  from  the  spot  she  had  left.  Then 
leaving  the  crowd  she  made  her  way  toward  the 
nearest  wigwams.  Once  behind  these  the  girl  stole 
rapidly  along  under  their  shelter  until  they  stood 
behind  that  which  they  usually  habited.  Twt» 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  301 

figures  were  standing  there.  They  hesitated  for  a 
moment,  but  one  of  them  advanced. 

"  Jack  Pearson !"  Nelly  exclaimed,  with  a  low 
cry  of  gladness. 

"  Jest  that  same,  Nelly,  and  right  glad  to  see  you. 
But  we've  no  time  for  greeting  now ;  the  hull  tribe 
may  be  after  us  in  another  five  minutes.  Come 
along,  pretty,"  he  said  turning  to  Janet.  "  You'll 
find  somebody  ye  know  close  at  hand." 

Two  minutes  later  the  child  was  in  her  father's 
arms,  and  after  a  moment's  rapturous  greeting  be- 
tween father  and  child  and  a  very  delighted  one 
between  Nelly  Welch  and  her  Cousin  Harold  the 
flight  was  continued. 

"How  long  a  start  do  you  think  we  may  have  ?" 

"  Half  an  hour  maybe.  The  women  may  be  some 
time  afore  they  miss  her,  and  they'll  sarch  for  her 
everywhere  afore  they  give  the  alarm,  as  they'll  be 
greatly  blamed  for  their  carelessness." 

There  had  been  a  pause  in  the  flight  for  a  few 
seconds  when  the  Seneca  and  Pearson  arrived  with 
the  girls  at  the  point  where  Peter  and  the  other 
Indians  were  posted,  two  hundred  yards  from  the 
camp.  Up  to  this  point  the  snow  was  everywhere 
thickly  trampled,  but  as  the  camp  was  left  further 
behind  the  footprints  would  naturally  become  more 
scarce.  Here  Paarson  fastened  to  the  girls'  feet 
two  pairs  of  large  moccasins ;  inside  these  wooden 
soles  had  been  placed.  They  therefore  acted  to 
some  extent  like  snow-shoes  and  prevented  the  girls' 
feet  from  sinking  deeply,  while  the  prints  which 


302  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

I 

they  left  bore  no  resemblance  to  their  own.  They 
were  strapped  on  the  wrong  way,  so  that  the  marks 
would  seem  to  point  toward  the  village  rather  than 
away  from  it.  Both  girls  protested  that  they  should 
not  be  able  to  get  along  fast  in  these  incumbrances, 
but  one  of  the  men  posted  himself  on  either  side  of 
each  and  assisted  them  along,  and  as  the  moccasins 
were  very  light,  even  with  the  wooden  soles  inside, 
they  were  soon  able  to  move  with  them  at  a  con- 
siderable pace. 

Once  united  the  whole  party  kept  along  at  the 
top  of  their  speed.  Peter  Lambton  assisted  Cam- 
eron with  Janet,  and  the  girl,  half-lifted  from  the 
ground,  skimmed  over  the  surface  like  a  bird,  only 
touching  the  snow  here  and  there  with  the  mocca- 
sins. Nelly  "Welch  needed  no  assistance  from  Har- 
old or  Pearson.  During  the  long  winters  she  had 
often  practiced  on  snow-shoes,  and  was  consequently 
but  little  incumbered  with  the  huge  moccasins, 
which  to  some  extent  served  the  same  purpose. 

They  had  been  nearly  half  an  hour  on  their  way 
when  they  heard  a  tremendous  yell  burst  from  the 
village. 

"They've  missed  you,"  Peter  said.  "  Now  it's  a 
fair  race.  We've  got  a  good  start  and'll  git  more, 
for  they'll  have  to  hunt  up  the  traces  very  carefully, 
and  it  may  be  an  hour,  perhaps  more,  before  they 
strike  upon  the  right  one.  Ef  the  snow  had  been 
new  fallen  we  should  have  had  'em  arter  us  in  five 
minutes ;  but  even  a  redskin's  eye  will  be  puzzled 
to  find  out  at  night  one  track  among  such  hundreds." 

"  I  have  but  one  fear»"  Pearson  said  to  Harold 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  308 

«  What  is  that  ?" 

"  I'm  afeared  that  without  waiting  to  find  the 
tracks  they  may  send  off  half  a  dozen  parties  to  the 
lake.  They'll  be  sure  that  friends  have  taken  the 
gals  away  and  will  know  that  their  only  chance  of 
escape  is  by  the  water.  On  land  we  should  be 
hunted  down  to  a  certainty,  and  the  redskins,  know- 
ing that  the  gals  could  not  travel  fast,  will  not  hurry 
in  following  up  the  trail.  So  I  think  they'll  at  once 
send  off  parties  to  watch  the  lake  and'll  like  enough 
make  no  effort  to  take  up  the  trail  till  to-morrow 
morning." 

This  was  said  in  a  low  whisper,  for  although  they 
were  more  than  two  miles  from  the  village  it  was 
necessary  to  move  as  silently  as  possible. 

"  You  had  best  tell  the  others  what  you  think, 
Pearson.  It  may  make  a  difference  in  our  move- 
ments." 

A  short  halt  was  called,  and  the  Seneca  and  Peter 
quite  agreed  with  Pearson's  idea. 

"We'd  best  make  for  the  canoe  that's  furthest  off. 
When  the  redskins  find  the  others,  which  they're 
pretty  sure  to  do,  for  they'll  hunt  every  bush,  they're 
likely  to  be  satisfied  and  to  make  sure  they'll  ketch 
us  at  one  or  the  other." 

Thus  much  decided  upon,  they  continued  their 
flight,  now  less  rapidly,  but  in  perfect  silence.  Speed 
was  less  an  object  than  concealment.  The  Indians 
might  spread  and  a  party  might  come  across  them 
by  accident.  If  they  could  avoid  this  they  were 


804  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAB. 

sure  to  reach  their  canoe  before  morning  and  un- 
likely to  find  the  Indians  there  before  them. 

It  was  about  twelve  miles  to  the  spot  where  they 
had  hidden  the  canoe,  and  although  they  heard  dis- 
tant shouts  and  whoops  ringing  through  the  forest, 
no  sound  was  heard  near  them. 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  305 


CHAPTER  XY. 

THE      ISLAND     REFUGE. 

THE  night  was  intensely  cold  and  still  and  the 
stars  shone  brightly  through  the  bare  boughs  over- 
head. 

"  Are  you  sure  you  are  going  all  right  ?"  Nelly 
asked  Harold.  "  It  is  so  dark  here  that  it  seems 
impossible  to  know  which  way  we  are  going." 

"  You  can  trust  the  Indians,"  Harold  said.  "  Even 
if  there  was  not  a  star  to  be  seen  they  could  find 
their  way  by  some  mysterious  instinct.  How  you 
are  grown,  Nelly  !  Your  voice  does  not  seem  much 
changed,  and  I  am  longing  to  see  your  face." 

"I  expect  you  are  more  changed  than  I  am, 
Harold,"  the  girl  answered.  "  You  have  been  going 
through  so  much  since  we  last  met,  and  you  seem 
to  have  grown  so  tall  and  big.  Your  voice  has 
changed  very  much,  too  ;  it  is  the  voice  of  a  man. 
How  in  the  world  did  you  find  us  here  ?" 

Pearson  had  gone  on  ahead  to  speak  to  the 
Seneca,  but  he  now  joined  them  again. 

"  You  mustn't  talk,"  he  said.  "  I  hope  there's  no 
redskins  within  five  miles  of  us  now,  but  there's 
never  any  saying  where  they  may  be." 

There  was,  Harold  thought,  a  certain  sharpness  in 


306  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  hunter's  voice,  which  told  of  a  greater  anxiety 
than  would  be  caused  by  the  very  slight  risk  of  the 
quietly  spoken  words  being  heard  by  passing  red- 
skins, and  he  wondered  what  it  could  be. 

They  were  now,  he  calculated,  within  a  mile  of 
the  hiding-place  where  they  had  left  the  boat,  and 
they  had  every  reason  for  believing  that  none  of 
the  Indians  would  be  likely  to  have  followed  the 
shore  so  far.  That  they  would  be  pursued  and  that 
in  so  heavily  laden  a  canoe  they  would  have  great 
difficulty  in  escaping  he  was  well  aware,  but  he  re- 
lied on  the  craft  of  the  hunters  and  Senecas  for 
throwing  their  pursuers  off  the  trail. 

All  at  once  the  trees  seemed  to  open  in  front,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  the  party  reached  the  river.  A 
cry  of  astonishment  and  of  something  akin  to  terror 
broke  from  Harold.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
the  lake  was  frozen.  Their  escape  was  cut  off. 

"  That's  jest  what  I've  been  expecting,"  Pearson 
said.  "  The  ice  had  begun  to  form  at  the  edge 
when  we  landed,  and  three  days  and  nights  of  such 
frost  as  we've  had  since  was  enough  to  freeze  On- 
tario. "What  on  arth's  to  be  done  ?" 

No  one  answered.  Peter  and  the  redskins  had 
shared  Pearson's  anxiety,  but  to  Harold  and  Camer- 
on the  disappointment  was  a  terrible  one ;  as  to 
Jake,  he  left  all  the  thinking  to  be  done  by  the 
others.  Harold  stood  gazing  helplessly  on  the  ex- 
panse of  ice  which  covered  the  water.  It  was  not 
a  smooth  sheet,  but  was  rough  and  broken,  as  if 
•while  it  had  been  forming  the  wind  had  broken  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  -  30? 

ice  up  into  cakes  again  and  again,  while  the  frost  as 
often  had  bound  them  together. 

They  had  struck  the  river  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  place  where  the  canoe  was  hidden,  and 
after  a  short  consultation  between  the  Seneca  chief, 
Peter  Lambton,  and  Pearson,  moved  down  toward 
that  spot. 

"  "What  are  you  thinking  of  doing  ?"  Harold 
asked  when  they  gathered  round  the  canoe. 

"  We're  going  to  load  ourselves  with  the  ammu- 
nition and  deer's  flesh,"  Peter  said,  "  and  make  for 
a  rocky  island  which  lies  about  a  mile  off  here.  I 
noticed  it  as  we  landed.  There's  nothing  to  do  but 
to  fight  it  out  to  the  last  there.  It  are  a  good  place 
for  defense,  for  the  redskins  won't  like  to  come  out 
across  the  open,  and  even  covered  by  a  dark  night 
they'd  show  on  this  white  surface." 

"  Perhaps  they  won't  trace  us." 

"  Not  trace  us  !"  the  trapper  repeated  scornfully. 
"  Why,  when  daylight  comes  they'll  pick  up  our 
track  and  follow  it  as  easy  as  you  could  that  of  a 
wagon  across  the  snow." 

They  were  just  starting  when  Harold  gave  a 
little  exclamation. 

"  What  is  it,  lad  1" 

"  A  flake  of  snow  fell  on  my  face." 

All  looked  up.  The  stars  had  disappeared.  An- 
other  flake  and  another  fell  on  the  upturned  faces 
of  the  party. 

"  Let's  thank  the  good  God,"  Peter  said  quietly. 
"  There's  a  chance  for  our  lives  yet.  Half  an  hour's 
snow  and  the  trailll  be  lost." 


308  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Faster  and  faster  the  snow-flakes  came  down. 
Again  the  leaders  consulted. 

"  We  must  change  our  plans  now,"  Peter  said, 
turning  to  the  others.  "  So  long  as  they  could 
easily  follow  our  tracks  it  mattered  nothing  that 
they'd  find  the  canoe  here  ;  but  now  it's  altogether 
different.  We  must  take  it  along  with  us." 

The  weight  of  the  canoe  was  very  small.  The 
greater  part  of  its  contents  had  already  been  re- 
moved. There  was  a  careful  look  round  to  see  that 
nothing  remained  on  the  bank ;  then  four  of  the 
men  lifted  it  on  their  shoulders,  and  the  whole 
party  stepped  out  upon  the  ice.  The  snow  was  now 
falling  heavily,  and  to  Harold's  eyes  there  was  noth- 
ing to  guide  them  in  the  direction  they  were  follow- 
ing. Even  the  Indians  would  have  been  at  a  loss 
had  not  the  Seneca,  the  instant  the  snow  began  to 
fall,  sent  on  one  of  his  followers  at  full  speed  to- 
ward the  island.  Harold  wondered  at  the  time 
what  his  object  could  be  as  the  Indian  darted  off 
across  the  ice,  but  he  now  understood.  Every  min- 
ute or  two  the  low  hoot  of  an  owl  was  heard,  and 
toward  this  sound  the  party  directed  their  way 
through  the  darkness  and  snow. 

So  heavy  was  the  fall  that  the  island  rose  white 
before  them  as  they  reached  it.  It  was  of  no  great 
extent — some  twenty  or  thirty  yards  across  and 
perhaps  twice  that  length.  It  rose  steeply  from  the 
water  to  a  height  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet.  The 
ground  was  rough  and  broken,  and  several  trees 
and  much  brushwood  grew  in  the  crevices  of  the 
rook. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  309 

The  Seneca  and  the  hunters  made  a  rapid  exam- 
ination of  the  island  and  soon  fixed  upon  the  spot 
for  their  camp.  Toward  one  end  the  island  was 
split  in  two  and  an  indentation  ran  some  distance 
up  into  it.  Here  a  clear  spot  was  found  some  three 
or  four  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water.  It  was 
completely  hidden  by  thick  bushes  from  the  sight 
of  any  one  approaching  by  water.  There  the  canoe 
was  turned  over,  and  the  girls,  who  were  both  suf- 
fering from  the  intense  cold,  were  wrapped  up  in 
blankets  and  placed  under  its  shelter.  The  camp 
was  at  the  lower  end  of  the  island  and  would  there- 
fore be  entirely  hidden  from  view  of  Indians 
gathered  upon  the  shore.  In  such  a  snow-storm 
light  would  be  invisible  at  a  very  short  distance, 
and  Peter  did  not  hesitate  to  light  a  fire  in  front  of 
the  canoe. 

For  three  hours  the  snow  continued  to  fall.  The 
fire  had  been  sheltered  by  blankets  stretched  at 
some  distance  above  it.  Long  before  the  snow 
ceased  it  had  sunk  down  to  a  pile  of  red  embers.  A 
small  tent  had  now  been  formed  of  blankets  for  the 
use  of  the  girls ;  brushwood  had  been  heaped  over 
this,  and  upon  the  brushwood  snow  had  been 
thrown,  the  whole  making  a  shelter  which  would 
be  warm  and  comfortable  even  in  the  bitterest 
weather.  A  pile  of  hot  embers  was  placed  in  this 
little  tent  until  it  was  thoroughly  heated ;  blankets 
were  then  spread,  and  the  girls  were  asked  to 
leave  the  shelter  of  the  canoe  and  take  their  place 
there. 


310  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  VLAQ. 

The  canoe  itself  was  now  raised  on  four  sticks 
three  feet  from  the  ground  ;  bushes  were  laid  round 
it  and  snow  piled  on,  thus  forming  the  walls  of 
which  the  canoe  was  the  roof.  All  this  was  finished 
long  before  the  snow  had  ceased  falling,  and  this 
added  a  smooth  white  surface  all  over,  so  that  to  a 
casual  eye  both  tent  and  hut  looked  like  two 
natural  ridges  of  the  ground.  They  were  a  cheer- 
ful party  which  assembled  in  the  little  hut.  The 
remainder  of  the  embers  of  the  fire  had  been 
brought  in,  and  intense  as  was  the  cold  outside,  it 
was  warm  and  comfortable  within.  Tea  was  made 
and  the  pipes  filled,  and  they  chatted  some  time  be- 
fore going  to  sleep. 

Duncan  Cameron  was  like  a  man  transfigured. 
His  joy  and  thankfulness  for  the  recovery  of  his 
daughter  were  unbounded.  Harold's  pleasure,  too, 
at  the  rescue  of  his  cousin  was  very  great,  and  the 
others  were  all  gratified  at  the  success  of  their  ex- 
pedition. It  was  true  that  the  Indians  had  as  yet 
gained  no  scalps,  but  Harold  had  promised  them 
before  starting  that  should  the  expedition  be  suc- 
cessful they  should  be  handsomely  rewarded. 

"  We  mustn't  reckon  as  we  are  safe  yet,"  Peter 
said  in  answer  to  one  of  Harold's  remarks.  "  The 
redskins  ain't  going  to  let  us  slip  through  their 
fingers  so  easy  as  all  that.  They've  lost  our  trail 
and  have  nothing  but  their  senses  to  guide  'em,  but 
an  Injun's  senses  ain't  easily  deceived  in  these  woods. 
Ef  this  snow  begins  again  and  keeps  on  for  two  or 
three  days  they  may  be  puzzled;  but  ef  it  stops 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  311 

they'll  cast  a  circle  round  their  camp  at  a  distance 
beyond  where  we  could  have  got  before  the  snow 
ceased,  and  ef  they  find  no  new  trails  they'll  know 
that  we  must  be  within  that  circle.  Then  as  to  the 
boats,  when  they  find  as  we  don't  come  down  to  the 
two  as  they've  discovered  and  that  we've  not  made 
off  by  land,  they'll  guess  as  there  was  another  canoe 
hidden  somewhere  and  they'll  sarch  high  and  low 
for  it.  Waal,  they  won't  find  it ;  and  then  they'll 
suppose  that  we  may  have  taken  to  the  ice  and 
they'll  sarch  that.  Either  they'll  git  to  open  water 
or  to  the  other  side.  Ef  there's  open  water  any- 
where within  a  few  miles  they  may  conclude  that 
we've  carried  a  canoe,  launched  it  there,  and  made 
off.  In  that  case,  when  they've  sarched  everywhere 
they  may  give  it  up.  Ef  there  ain't  no  such  open 
water  they'll  sarch  till  they  find  us.  It  ain't  likely 
that  this  island  will  escape  'em.  "With  nine  good 
rifles  here  we  can  hold  the  place  against  the  hull 
tribe,  and  as  they'd  show  up  against  the  snow  they 
can  no  more  attack  by  night  than  by  day." 

"I  don't  think  our  food  will  hold  out  beyond 
seven  or  eight  days,"  Harold  said. 

"  Jest  about  that,"  Peter  answered ;  "  but  we  can 
cut  a  hole  in  the  ice  and  fish,  and  can  hold  out  that 
way,  if  need  be,  for  weeks.  The  wust  of  it  is  that 
the  ice  ain't  likely  to  break  up  now  until  the  spring. 
I  reckon  our  only  chance  is  to  wait  till  we  git  an- 
other big  snow-storm  and  then  to  make  off.  The 
snow  will  cover  our  trail  as  fast  as  we  make  it,  and 
once  across  to  the  other  shore  we  may  git  away 


313  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

from  the  varmints.  But  I  don't  disguise  from  you, 
Harold,  that  we're  in  a  very  awk'ard  trouble,  and 
that  it'll  need  all  the  craft  of  the  chief  here  and  all 
the  experience  of  Pearson  and  me  to  git  us  out  of 
it." 

"  The  guid  God  has  been  vera  merciful  to  us  sae 
far,"  Duncan  Cameron  said ;  "  he  will  surely  protect 
us  to  the  end.  Had  he  na  sent  the  snow  just  when 
he  did,  the  savages  could  hae  followed  our  trail  at 
once ;  it  was  a  miracle  wrought  in  our  favor.  He 
has  aided  us  to  rescue  the  twa  bairns  frae  the  hands 
of  the  Indians,  and  we  may  surely  trust  in  his  pro- 
tection to  the  end.  My  daughter  and  her  friend 
hae,  I  am  vera  sure,  before  lying  down  to  sleep 
entreated  his  protection.  Let  us  a'  do  the  same." 

And  the  old  soldier,  taking  off  his  cap,  prayed 
aloud  to  God  to  heed  and  protect  them. 

Harold  and  the  frontiersmen  also  removed  their 
caps  and  joined  in  the  prayer,  and  the  Senecas 
looked  on  silent  and  reverent  at  an  act  of  worship 
which  was  rare  among  their  white  companions. 

As  Peter  was  of  opinion  that  there  was  no  chance 
whatever  of  any  search  on  the  part  of  the  Indiana 
that  night,  and  therefore  there  was  no  need  to  set  a 
watch,  the  whole  party  wrapped  themselves  up  in 
their  blankets  and  were  soon  asleep. 

"When  Harold  woke  next  morning  it  was  broad 
daylight.  The  Senecas  had  already  been  out  and 
had  brought  news  that  a  strong  party  of  Indians 
could  be  seen  moving  along  the  edge  of  the  forest, 
evidently  searching  for  a  canoe.  One  of  the  In- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  313 

dians  was  placed  on  watch,  and  two  or  three  hours 
later  he  reported  that  the  Indians  were  now  entirely 
out  of  sight  and  were  when  last  seen  scouting  along 
the  edge  of  the  forest. 

"  Now,"  Peter  said,  "  the  sooner  we  git  another 
snow-storm  the  better.  Ef  we'd  been  alone  we 
could  have  pushed  on  last  night,  but  the  gals  was  • 
exhausted  and  would  soon  have  died  of  the  cold. 
Now  with  a  fresh  start  they'd  do.  Ef  we  can't 
cross  the  lake  I  calculate  that  we're  about  thirty 
mile  from  a  p'int  on  the  north  shore  below  the  falls 
of  Ste.  Marie,  and  we  could  land  there  and  strike 
across  through  the  woods  for  the  settlement.  It'd 
be  a  terrible  long  journey  round  the  north  of 
Huron,  but  we  must  try  it  ef  we  can't  get  across." 

"  But  we  could  go  off  by  night,  surely,"  Harold 
said,  "  even  if  there  is  no  fresh  snow." 

"  We  could  do  that,"  Peter  replied  ;  "  no  doubt  of 
it.  But  ef  they  were  to  find  our  track  the  next 
day,  ay,  or  within  three  days,  they'd  follow  us  and 
overtake  us  afore  we  got  to  the  settlements.  Ef  we 
was  alone  it'd  be  one  thing ;  but  with  the  gals  it'd 
be  another  altogether.  No,  we  must  stop  here  till 
a  snow-storm  comes,  even  ef  we  have  to  stop  for  a 
month.  There's  no  saying  how  soon  some  of  them 
Injuns  may  be  loafing  round,  and  we  daren't  leave 
a  trail  for  'em  to  take  up." 

They  had  scarcely  ceased  speaking  when  a  low 
call  from  the  Indian  placed  on  watch  summoned  the 
chief  to  his  side.  A  minute  later  the  latter  rejoined 
the  group  below  and  said  a  few  words  to  Peter. 


314  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  Jest  as  I  thought !"  the  latter  grumbled,  rising 
with  his  rifle  across  his  arm.  "  Here  are  some  of 
the  varmints  coming  out  this  'ere  way.  Likely 
enough  it's  a  party  of  young  braves  jest  scouting 
about  on  their  own  account  to  try  and  get  honor  by 
discovering  us  when  their  elders  have  failed.  It 
would  have  been  better  for  them  to  have  stopped  at 
home." 

The  party  now  crept  up  to  the  top  of  the  rock, 
keeping  carefully  below  its  crest. 

"  Ef  you  show  as  much  as  a  hair  above  the  top 
line,"  Peter  said,  "  they'll  see  you  sartin." 

"  Would  it  not  be  as  well,"  Harold  asked,  "  for 
one  of  us  to  show  himself  ?  There  is  no  possibility 
of  further  concealment,  and  if  they  go  off  without 
any  of  them  being  killed  the  others  might  be  less 
bitter  against  us  than  they  would  if  they  had  lost 
some  of  their  tribe." 

Peter  laughed  scornfully. 

"  Ye  haven't  had  much  to  do  with  Injuns,  lad,  but 
I  should  have  thought  you'd  have  had  better  sense 
nor  that.  Haven't  these  Injuns  been  a-murdering 
and  a-slaying  along  the  frontier  all  the  summer,  fall- 
ing on  defenseless  women  and  children  ?  Marcy 
and  pity  ain't  in  their  natur,  and  fight  or  no  fight, 
our  scalps  will  dry  in  their  wigwams  if  they  git  us 
into  their  power.  They  know  that  we  can  shoot 
and  mean  to,  and  that'll  make  'em  careful  of  at- 
tacking us,  and  every  hour  is  important.  Now," 
he  said  to  the  others,  "  each  of  you  cover  a  man  and 
fire  straight  through  your  sights  when  I  gives  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAB.  315 

word.  There's  others  watching  'em,  you  may  be 
sure,  and  ef  the  whole  five  go  down  together  it'll 
make  'em  think  twice  afore  they  attack  us  again." 

Peering  between  some  loose  rocks  so  that  he  could 
see  without  exposing  his  head  above  the  line,  Har- 
old watched  the  five  Indians  approaching.  They 
had  evidently  some  doubts  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the 
course  they  were  pursuing,  and  were  well  aware 
that  they  ran  a  terrible  risk  standing  there  in  the 
open  before  the  rifles  of  those  concealed  should  the 
fugitives  be  really  there.  Nevertheless  the  hope  of 
gaining  distinction  and  the  fear  of  ridicule  from 
those  watching  them  on  shore  should  they  turn 
back  with  their  mission  unaccomplished  inspired 
them  with  resolution.  When  within  three  hundred 
yards  of  the  island  they  halted  for  a  long  time. 
They  stood  gazing  fixedly,  but  although  no  signs  of 
life  could  be  perceived,  they  were  too  well  versed  in. 
Indian  warfare  to  gain  any  confidence  from  the  ap- 
parent stillness.  Throwing  themselves  flat  on  the 
snow  and  following  each  other  in  single  line,  by 
which  means  their  bodies  were  nearly  concealed 
from  sight  in  the  track  which  their  leader  made 
through  the  light,  yielding  snow,  they  made  a  com- 
plete circuit  of  the  island.  They  paused  for  some 
time  opposite  the  little  forked  entrance  in  which  the 
camp  was  situated,  but  apparently  saw  nothing,  for 
they  kept  round  until  they  completed  the  circuit. 

When  they,  reached  the  point  from  which  they 
had  started  there  was  apparently  a  short  consultation 
among  them.  Then  they  continued  their  course  in 


316  TR VE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  track  that  they  had  before  made  until  they 
reached  a  spot  facing  the  camp.  Then  they  changed 
order,  and  still  prone  in  the  snow  advanced  abreast 
toward  the  island. 

"  The  varmints  have  guessed  that  ef  we're  here 
this  is  the  place  where  we'd  be  hid,"  Peter  whispered 
in  Harold's  ear. 

As  the  Indians  had  made  their  circuit  the  party 
in  the  island  had  changed  their  position  so  as  always 
to  keep  out  of  sight.  They  were  now  on  the  top 
of  the  island,  which  was  a  sort  of  rough  plateau. 
The  girls  had  been  warned  when  they  left  them  to 
remain  perfectly  quiet  in  their  shelter  whatever 
noise  they  might  hear.  Peter  and  the  Seneca 
watched  the  Indians  through  holes  which  they  had 
made  with  their  ramrods  through  a  bank  of  snow. 
The  others  remained  flat  in  the  slight  depression 
behind  it.  At  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  the  Indians  stopped. 

"The  varmints  see  something!"  Peter  said. 
"  Maybe  they  can  make  out  the  two  snow  heaps 
through  the  bushes ;  maybe  they  can  see  some  of 
our  footsteps  in  the  snow.  They're  going  to  fire!" 
he  exclaimed.  "  Up,  lads !  They  may  send  a  bul- 
let into  the  hut  whar  the  gals  is  hid." 

In  an  instant  the  line  of  men  sprang  to  their  feet. 
The  Indians,  taken  by  surprise  at  the  sudden  ap- 
pearance of  a  larger  number  of  enemies  than  they 
expected,  fired  a  hasty  volley  and  then  sprang  to 
their  feet  and  dashed  toward  the  shore.  But  they 
were  deadly  rifles  which  covered  them.  Peter, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  817 

Harold,  and  Pearson  could  be  trusted  not  to  miss 
even  a  rapidly  moving  object  at  that  distance,  and 
the  men  were  all  good  shots.  Not  in  regular  order, 
but  us  each  covered  his  man  the  rifles  were  dis- 
charged. Four  out  of  the  five  Indians  fell  and  an 
arm  of  the  fifth  dropped  useless  by  his  side ;  how- 
ever, he  still  kept  on.  The  whites  reloaded  rapidly, 
and  Harold  was  about  to  fire  again  when  Pearson 
put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"Don't  fire.  We've  shown  them  that  we  can 
shoot  straight.  It's  jest  as  well  at  present  that 
they  shouldn't  know  how  far  our  rifles  will  carry." 

The  four  Senecas  dashed  out  across  the  snow  and 
speedily  returned  each  with  a  scalp  hanging  at  his 
belt 

A  loud  yell  of  anger  and  lamentation  had  risen 
from  the  woods  skirting  the  shore  as  the  Indians 
fell,  but  after  this  died  away  a  deep  silence  reigned. 

"  What  will  be  their  next  move  2"  Cameron  asked 
Peter  as  they  gathered  again  in  their  low  hut,  hav- 
ing placed  one  of  the  Indians  on  watch. 

"  We'll  hear  nothing  of  'em  till  nightfall,"  Peter 
said.  "  Their  first  move,  now  they  know  as  we're 
here,  will  be  to  send  off  to  fetch  up  all  the  tribe 
who're  in  search  of  us.  When  it  comes  on  dark 
they'll  send  scouts  outside  of  us  on  the  ice  to  see  as 
we  don't  escape — not  that  they'd  much  mind  ef  we 
did,  for  they  could  track  us  through  the  snow  and 
come  up  with  us  whenever  they  chose.  No,  they 
may  be  sure  we'll  stay  where  we  are.  It  may  be 
they'll  attack  us  to-night,  maybe  not.  It'd  be  a. 


318  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

thing  more  risksome  than  redskins  often  undertake 
to  cross  the  snow  under  the  fire  of  nine  rifles.  1 
ain't  no  doubt  they'd  try  and  starve  us  out,  for  they 
must  know  well  enough  that  we  can  have  no  great 
store  of  provisions.  But  they  know  as  well  as  we 
do  that  ef  another  snow-storm  comes  on  we  might 
slip  away  from  'em  without  leaving  a  foot-mark  be- 
hind. It's  jest  that  thought  as  may  make  'em  at- 
tack." 

"  "Well,  we  can  beat  them  off  if  they  do,"  Harold 
said  confidently. 

"  Waal,  we  may  and  we  may  not,"  the  scout 
answered.  "  Anyhow  we  can  kill  a  grist  of  'em 
afore  they  turn  us  out  on  this  'ere  island." 

"  That's  sartin  enough,"  Pearson  put  in ;  "  but 
they're  a  strong  tribe,  and  ef  they  can  harden  their 
hearts  and  make  a  rush  it's  all  up  with  us.  I  allow 
that  it's  contrary  to  their  custom,  but  when  they 
see  no  other  way  to  do  with  they  may  try." 

"  I  suppose  if  they  do  try  a  rush,"  Harold  said, 
"  they  will  do  it  against  this  end  of  the  island  ?" 

"  Yes,  you  may  bet  your  money  on  that,"  the 
scout  answered.  "  In  other  places  the  rock  goes 
pretty  nigh  straight  up  from  the  water,  but  here  it's 
an  easy  landing.  Being  so  close  to  'em  they're  sure 
to  know  all  about  it ;  but  even  ef  they  didn't,  the 
chap  that  got  away  would  tell  'em.  I  don't  much 
expect  an  attack  to-night — the  bands  won't  be  back 
yet.  They'll  have  a  grand  palaver  to-night,  and 
there'll  be  a  big  talk  afore  they  decide  what  is 
best  to  be  done;  so  I  think  we're  safe  for  to-night. 


TRTJE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  319 

To-morrow  we'll  set  to  work  and  build  a  shelter  for 
the  pretty  ones  up  above,  where  they'll  be  safe  from 
stray  shots.  Then  we'll  throw  up  a  breastwork 
with  loose  rocks  on  the  top  of  the  slope  round  this 
cove,  so  as  to  give  it  to  'em  hot  when  they  land." 

"  You  have  plenty  of  powder  ?"  Harold  asked. 

"  Dollops,"  Peter  replied ;  "  more'n  we  could  fire 
away  if  we  was  besieged  here  for  a  month." 

"  Then  you  could  spare  me  twenty  pounds  or 
so?" 

"  We  could  spare  you  a  whole  keg  if  you  like ; 
we've  got  three  full.  But  what  are  you  thinking  of 
now,  young  un  ?" 

"  I  was  thinking,"  Harold  answered,  "  of  forming 
a  line  of  holes,  say  three  feet  apart,  in  the  ice  across 
the  mouth  of  the  cove.  If  we  were  to  charge  them 
with  powder  and  lay  a  train  between  them,  we 
could,  when  the  first  dozen  or  so  have  passed  the 
line,  fire  the  train  and  break  up  the  ice.  This 
would  prevent  the  others  following  and  give  them 
such  a  bad  scare  that  they  would  probably  make 
off,  and  we  could  easily  deal  with  those  who  had 
passed  the  line  before  we  fired  it." 

"  That's  a  good  idea  of  yours,  lad.  A  fust-rate 
idea.  The  ice  must  be  a  foot  thick  by  this  time, 
and  ef  you  put  in  your  charges  eight  inches  and 
tamp  'em  well  down  you'll  shiver  the  ice  for  a  long 
way  round.  The  idea  is  a  fust-rate  one." 

Pearson  and  Cameron  assisted  in  the  work,  and 
the  Indians,  when  Peter  had  explained  the  plan  to 
them,  gave  deep  guttural  exclamations  of  surprise 


320  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

and  approval.  The  process  of  blasting  was  one 
wholly  unknown  to  them. 

"  I  will  mak'  the  holes,"  Cameron  said.  "  I  hae 
seen  a  deal  of  blasting  when  I  was  in  the  army.  I 
can  heat  the  end  of  a  ramrod  in  a  fire  and  hammer 
it  to  the  shape  of  a  borer." 

"  A  better  way  than  that,  Cameron,"  Harold 
said,  "  will  be  to  heat  the  end  of  a  ramrod  white- 
hot.  You  will  melt  holes  in  the  ice  in  half  the  time 
it  would  take  you  to  bore  them.  That  was  what  I 
was  thinking  of  doing." 

"  Eight  you  are,  lad !"  Pearson  said.  "  Let's  set 
about  it  at  once." 

A  large  fire  was  now  lighted  outside  the  hut,  for 
there  was  no  longer  any  occasion  for  secrecy.  The 
ends  of  three  or  four  of  the  ramrods  were  placed  in 
the  fire,  and  two  lines  of  holes  were  bored  in  the 
ice  across  the  mouth  of  the  little  cove.  These  lines 
were  twelve  feet  apart,  and  they  calculated  that  the 
ice  between  them  would  be  completely  broken  up, 
even  if  the  fractures  did  not  extend  a  good  way  be- 
yond the  lines.  The  holes  were  of  rather  larger 
diameter  than  the  interior  of  a  gun-barrel.  It  was 
found  that  the  ice  was  about  fifteen  inches  thick, 
and  the  holes  were  taken  down  ten  inches.  Three 
or  four  charges  of  powder  were  placed  in  each  ;  a 
stick  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  was  then 
placed  in  each  hole,  and  pounded  ice  was  rammed 
tightly  in  around  it  until  the  holes  were  filled  up, 
a  few  drops  of  water  being  poured  in  on  the  top  so 
as  to  freeze  the  whole  into  a  solid  mass.  There  was 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  321 

no  fear  of  the  powder  being  wetted,  for  the  frost 
was  intense.  Then  the  sticks  were  withdrawn  and 
the  holes  left  filled  with  powder.  With  the  heated 
ramrods  little  troughs  were  sunk  half  an  inch  deep, 
connecting  the  tops  of  the  holes ;  lines  of  powder 
were  placed  in  these  trenches  ;  narrow  strips  of  skin 
were  laid  over  them  and  the  snow  was  then  thrown 
on  again.  The  two  lines  of  trenches  were  connect- 
ed at  the  ends  at  the  shore,  so  that  they  could  be 
fired  simultaneously. 

While  the  men  were  occupied  with  this  work  the 
girls  had  cooked  some  venison  steaks  and  made  some 
cakes. 

It  was  just  nightfall  when  they  had  finished,  and 
all  sat  down  and  enjoyed  a  hearty  meal.  Peter  and 
one  of  the  Senecas  undertook  the  watch  for  half  the 
night,  when  they  were  to  be  relieved  by  Pearson 
and  the  chief.  The  early  part  of  the  night  passed 
off  quietly,  but  an  hour  before  morning  the  party 
were  aroused  by  the  sharp  crack  of  two  rifles. 
Seizing  their  arms  all  rushed  out. 

"  What  is  it,  Pearson  ?" 

"Two  of  their  scouts,"  Pearson  answered,  point- 
ing to  two  dark  bodies  on  the  snow  at  a  distance  of 
about  one  hundred  yards.  "  I  suppose  they  wanted 
to  see  ef  we  was  on  the  watch.  We  made  'em  out 
almost  as  soon  as  they  left  the  shore,  but  we  let  'em 
come  on  until  we  was  sartin  of  our  aim.  There 
ain't  no  more  about  as  we  can  see,  so  ye  can  all  turn 
in  again  for  another  hour  or  two." 

There  was  no  fresh  alarm  before  morning,  and 


322  THUS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

when  the  sun  rose  it  shone  over  a  wide  expanse  of 
snow,  unbroken  save  where  lay  the  bodies  of  the 
two  Indians — whose  scalps  already  hung  at  the  belt 
of  the  Seneca — and  those  of  their  four  comrades 
who  had  fallen  in  the  first  attack. 

The  day  passed  quietly.  Toward  the  afternoon 
two  Indians  were  seen  approaching  from  the  shore. 
They  were  unarmed  and  held  their  hands  aloft  as  a 
sign  of  amity.  Peter  and  Pearson  at  once  laid 
down  their  guns,  left  the  island,  and  advanced  to 
meet  them.  They  were  Indian  chiefs  of  importance. 

"  Why  have  my  white  brothers  stolen  in  at  night 
upon  the  village  of  War  Eagle  and  slain  his  young 
men  ?" 

"  It's  what  you've  been  doing  all  last  year,  chief," 
Pearson,  who  spoke  the  dialect  better  than  Peter, 
replied.  "But  we  injured  no  one.  We  didn't  kill 
women  and  children,  as  your  warriors  have  done  in 
the  white  villages.  We  only  came  to  take  what  you 
had  stolen  from  us,  and  ef  your  young  men  have 
been  killed  it's  only  because  they  tried  to  attack  us." 

"  The  white  men  must  see,"  the  chief  said,  "  that 
they  cannot  get  away.  The  water  is  hard  and  their 
canoe  will  not  swim  in  it.  The  snow  is  deep  and  the 
tender  feet  cannot  walk  through  it.  My  warriors 
are  very  numerous  and  the  white  men  cannot  fight 
their  way  through  them.  The  white  settlements 
are  very  far  away  and  their  friends  cannot  reach 
them  ;  and  it  will  be  many  months  before  the  water 
softens,  and  long  before  that  the  white  men  will 
have  eaten  their  moccasins." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  323 

"  Waal,  chief,"  Pearson  said,  "  we're  in  a  tight 
hole,  I  grant  you  ;  but  I'm  far  from  allowing  that 
we  ain't  no  chances  left  to  us  yet.  What  do  you 
propose  ?  I  suppose  you've  some  proposition  to 
make." 

"Let  the  white  men  leave  behind  them  their  guns 
and  their  powder  and  the  maidens  they  have  taken 
from  War  Eagle's  camp,  then  let  them  go  in  peace. 
They  shall  not  be  harmed." 

Pearson  gave  a  short  laugh. 

"War  Eagle  must  think  the  white  men  are  fool- 
isfi.  What's  to  prevent  the  red  warriors  from 
taking  all  our  sculps  when  our  arms  are  in  their 
hands  ?" 

"  The  word  of  a  great  chief,"  War  Eagle  said. 
"  War  Eagle  never  lies." 

"  You  may  not  lie,  chief,"  Pearson  said  bluntly, 
"  but  I've  known  many  a  treaty  broken  afore  now. 
You  and  your  people  may  not  touch  us,  but  there's 
other  redskins  about,  and  I  wouldn't  give  a  beaver's 
skin  for  our  sculps  ef  we  were  to  take  the  back  trail 
to  the  settlements  without  arms  in  our  hands.  Be- 
sides that,  we've  among  us  the  father  of  the  gal  who 
was  stole  far  away  off  from  Lake  Champlain  and  a 
relative  of  her  whose  parents  you've  killed  down  on 
the  lake.  Ef  we  were  to  agree  to  give  up  our  arms, 
it  stands  to  reason  it  ain't  likely  they'd  agree  to 
give  up  the  gals.  No,  no,  chief ;  your  terms  aren't 
reasonable.  But  I  tell  ye  what  we  will  do:  ef 
you'll  give  us  your  word  that  neither  you  nor  your 
tribe'll  molest  us  in  our  retreat  we'll  go  back  to  the 


324  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

settlements,  and'll  engage  that  when  we  git  back 
there  we'll  send  you  nine  of  the  best  rifles  money 
can  buy,  with  plenty  of  powder  and  ball,  and 
blankets  and  such  like." 

The  chief  waved  his  hand  in  contemptuous  refusal 
of  the  terms. 

"  There  are  six  of  my  young  men's  scalps  at  your 
girdles  and  their  places  are  empty.  "War  Eagle  has 
spoken." 

"  Very  well,  chief,"  Pearson  said.  "  Ef  nothing 
but  sculps  will  content  you,  to  fighting  it  must 
come  ;  but  T  warn  you  that  your  tribe'll  lose  a  good 
many  more  afore  they  git  ours." 

So  saying,  without  another  word  they  separated, 
each  party  making  their  way  back  to  their  friends. 

"What  on  earth  can  he  have  proposed  such 
terms  as  those  for?"  Harold  asked  when  Pearson 
had  related  what  had  taken  place  between  him  and 
the  chief.  "  He  must  have  known  we  should  not 
accept  them." 

"  I  expect,"  Pearson  said,  "  he  wanted  to  see  who 
we  were  and  to  judge  what  sort  of  spirit  we  had. 
It  may  be,  too,  that  there  was  a  party  among  the 
tribe  who  had  no  stomachs  for  the  job  of  attacking 
this  place,  and  so  he  was  obliged  to  make  a  show 
of  offering  terms  to  please  'em  ;  but  he  never  meant 
as  they  should  be  accepted.  No,  I  take  it  they'll 
wait  a  few  days  to  see  what  hunger'll  do.  They 
must  be  pretty  sure  that  we've  not  a  very  large 
supply  of  food." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  $35 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

THE     GREAT      STORM. 

"LET  us  overhaul  our  packages,"  Harold  said, 
"  and  see  what  provisions  we  have  left.  It  would 
be  as  well  to  know  how  we  stand." 

It  was  found  that  they  had  a  sufficient  supply  of 
flour  to  last  with  care  for  a  fortnight.  The  meal 
was  nearly  exhausted ;  of  tea  they  had  an  abun- 
dance ;  the  sugar  was  nearly  out  and  they  had  three 
bottles  of  spirits. 

"  Could  we  not  make  the  flour  last  more  than  the 
fourteen  days  by  putting  ourselves  on  half-rations  ?" 
Harold  asked. 

"  We  might  do  that,"  Peter  said,  "  but  I  tell  you 
the  rations  would  be  small  even  for  fourteen  days. 
We've  calkilated  according  to  how  much  we  eat 
when  we've  plenty  of  meat,  but  without  meat  it'd  be 
only  a  starvation  ration  to  each.  Fortunately  we've 
fish-hooks  and  lines,  and  by  making  holes  in  the  ice  we 
can  git  as  many  fish  as  we  like.  Waal,  we  can  live 
on  them  alone  if  need  be,  and  an  ounce  or  two  of 
flour,  made  into  cakes,  will  be  enough  to  go  with 
'em.  That  way  the  flour  would  last  us  pretty  nigh 
two  months.  I  don't  say  that  if  the  wust  comes  to 
the  wust  we  might  not  hold  on  right  to  the  spring 


326  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD 

on  fish.  The  lake's  full  of  'em,  and  some  of  'em 
have  so  much  oil  in  'em  that  they're  nigh  as  good 
as  meat." 

"  Do  you  think,  Peter,  that  if  the  Indians  make 
one  great  attack  and  are  beaten  off  they  will  try 
again  ?" 

"  No  one  can  say,"  Peter  answered.  "  Injun 
natur'  can't  never  be  calkilated  on.  I  should  say 
if  they  got  a  thundering  beating  they  ain't  likely  to 
try  again  ;  but  there's  never  no  saying." 

"  The  sooner  they  attack  and  get  it  o'er  the  better," 
Cameron  said.  "  I  hae  na  slept  a  wink  the  last 
twa  nights.  If  I  doze  off  for  a  moment  I  wake  up 
thinking  I  hear  their  yells.  I  am  as  ready  to  fight 
as  ony  o'  you  when  the  time  comes,  but  the  thought 
o'  my  daughter  here  makes  me  nervous  and  anxious. 
What  do  you  say,  Jake  ?" 

"  It  all  de  same  to  Jake,  Massa  Cameron.  Jake 
sleeps  bery  sound,  but  he  no  like  de  tought  ob  eating 
noting  but  fish  for  five  or  six  months.  Jake  nebber 
bery  fond  ob  fish." 

"  You'll  like  it  well  enough  when  you  get  used  to 
it,  Jake,"  Pearson  said.  "  It's  not  bad  eating  on  a 
pinch,  only  you  want  to  eat  a  sight  of  it  to  satisfy 
you.  "Well,  let's  see  how  the  fish'll  bite." 

Four  holes  were  cut  in  the  ice  at  a  short  distance 
apart.  The  hooks  were  attached  to  strong  lines 
and  baited  with  deer's  flesh,  and  soon  the  fishing  be- 
gan. The  girls  took  great  interest  in  the  proceed- 
ing. Nelly  was  an  adept  at  the  sport,  having 
generally  caught  the  fish  for  the  consumption  of 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  327 

the  household  at  home.  She  took  charge  of  one  of 
the  lines,  Harold  of  another,  while  Jake  and  one  of 
the  Senecas  squatted  themselves  by  the  other  holes. 
There  had  been  some  discussion  as  to  whether  the 
fishing  should  take  place  on  the  side  of  the  island 
facing  the  shore  or  behind  the  rocks,  but  the  former 
was  decided  upon.  This  was  done  because  all  were 
anxious  that  the  expected  attack  should  take  place 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  the  event  was  likely  to  be 
hastened  when  the  Indians  saw  that  they  were  pro- 
vided with  lines  and  were  thus  able  to  procure 
food  for  a  considerable  time. 

It  was  soon  manifest  that  if  they  could  live  upon 
fish  they  need  feel  no  uneasiness  as  to  its  supply. 
Scarcely  had  the  lines  been  let  down  than  fish  were 
fast  to  them.  Harold  and  the  other  men  soon  had 
trout,  from  three  to  six  pounds,  lying  on  the  ice  be- 
sids  them,  but  Nelly  was  obliged  to  call  Pearson  to 
her  assistance,  and  the  fish  when  brought  to  the 
surface  was  found  to  be  over  twenty  pounds  in 
weight.  An  hours  fishing  procured  them  a  suf- 
ficient supply  for  a  week's  consumption.  There  was 
no  fear  as  to  the  fish  keeping,  for  in  a  very  short 
time  after  being  drawn  from  the  water  they  were 
frozen  stiff  and  hard.  They  were  hung  up  to  some 
boughs  near  the  huts,  and  the  party  were  glad 
enough  to  get  into  shelter  again,  for  the  cold  was 
intense. 

As  before,  the  early  part  of  the  night  passed 
quietly ;  but  toward  morning  Peter,  who  was  on. 
watch,  ran  down  and  awakened  the  others. 


328  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  Git  your  shooting-irons  and  hurry  up,"  he  said. 
"  The  varmints  are  coming  this  time  in  arnest." 

In  a  minute  every  one  was  at  the  post  assigned  to 
him.  A  number  of  dark  figures  could  be  seen  com- 
ing over  the  ice. 

"There's  nigh  two  hundred  of 'em,"  Peter  said. 
"  War  Eagle  has  brought  the  hull  strength  of  his 
tribe." 

Contrary  to  their  usual  practice  the  Indians  did  not 
attempt  to  crawl  up  to  the  place  they  were  about  to 
attack,  but  advanced  at  a  run  across  the  ice.  The 
defenders  lost  not  a  moment  in  opening  fire,  for 
some  of  their  rifles  would  carry  as  far  as  the  shore. 

"  Shoot  steady,"  Peter  said.  "  Don't  throw  away 
a  shot." 

Each  man  loaded  and  fired  as  quickly  as  he  could, 
taking  a  steady  aim,  and  the  dark  figures  which 
dotted  the  ice  behind  the  advancing  Indians  showed 
that  the  fire  was  an  effectual  one.  The  Indians  did 
not  return  a  shot.  Their  c'lief  had  no  doubt 
impressed  upon  them  the  uselessness  of  firing 
against  men  lying  in  shelter,  and  had  urged  them  to 
hurry  at  the  top  of  their  speed  to  the  island  and 
crush  the  whites  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight. 

It  was  but  three  or  four  minutes  from  the  time 
the  first  shot  was  fired  before  they  were  close  to  the 
island.  They  made,  as  Peter  had  expected,  toward 
the  little  cove,  which  was  indeed  the  only  place  at 
which  a  landing  could  well  be  effected.  Harold  ran 
down  and  hid  himself  in  a  bush  at  the  spot  where 
*"?  train  terminated,  carrying  with  him  a  glowing 
orand  from  the  fire, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  329 

"War  Eagle  means  to  have  our  sculps  this  time," 
Peter  said  to  Pearson.  "  I  never  seed  an  uglier 
rush.  White  men  couldn't  have  done  better." 

The  Indians  had  run  in  scattered  order  across  the 
ice,  but  they  closed  up  as  they  neared  the  cove.  As 
they  rushed  toward  it  four  fell  beneath  the  shots  of 
half  the  defenders,  and  another  four  a  few  seconds 
later  from  a  volley  by  the  other  section. 

In  a  wonderfully  short  time  the  first  were  ready 
again,  and  the  Indians  wavered  at  the  slaughter  and 
opened  fire  upon  the  breastwork,  behind  which  the 
defenders  were  crouching.  Those  behind  pressed 
on,  and  with  terrific  yells  the  mass  of  Indians 
bounded  forward. 

Harold  had  remained  inactive,  crouching  behind 
the  bush.  He  saw  the  head  of  the  dark  mass  rush 
past  him  and  then  applied  the  brand  to  the  train. 

There  was  a  tremendous  explosion.  Yells  and 
screams  rent  the  air,  and  in  an  instant  a  dark  line 
of  water  twenty  feet  wide  stretched  across  the 
mouth  of  the  cove.  In  this  were  pieces  of  floating 
ice  and  numbers  of  Indians  struggling  and  yelling. 
Some  made  only  a  faint  struggle  before  they  sank, 
while  others  struck  out  for  the  side  furthest  from 
the  island. 

The  main  body  of  Indians,  appalled  by  the  ex- 
plosion, checked  themselves  in  their  course  and  at 
once  took  to  flight;  some,  unable  to  check  their 
impetus,  fell  into  the  water  upon  the  wounded 
wretches  who  were  struggling  there.  Those  who 
had  crossed  stood  irresolute,  and  then  turning 


330  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAB. 

leaped  into  the  water.  As  they  struggled  to  get 
out  on  the  opposite  side  the  defenders  maintained  a 
deadly  fire  upon  them,  but  in  two  or  three  minutes 
the  last  survivor  had  scrambled  out  and  all  were  in 
full  flight  toward  the  shore. 

"I  think  we've  seen  the  last  of  the  attacks," 
Peter  said  as  they  came  down  from  their  breast- 
work and  joined  Harold  iu  the  cove.  "  That  was  a 
fust-rate  notion  of  yours,  lad.  Ef  it  hadn't  been  for 
that  we  should  have  been  rubbed  out  sure  enough ; 
another  minute  and  we'd  have  gone  down.  They 
were  in  arnest  and  no  mistake ;  they'd  got  steam 
up  and  was  determined  to  finish  with  us  at  once 
whatever  it  cost  'em." 

The  instant  the  attack  had  ceased  Cameron  had 
hastened  to  the  hut  where  the  girls  were  lying,  to 
assure  them  that  all  danger  was  over  and  that  the 
Indians  were  entirely  defeated.  In  an  hour  a  fresh 
skim  of  ice  had  formed  across  the  streak  of  water, 
but  as  through  its  clear  surface  many  of  the  bodies 
of  the  Indians  could  be  seen,  the  men  threw  snow 
over  it,  to  spare  the  girls  the  unpleasantness  of  such 
a  sight  every  time  they  went  out  from  the  cove. 
The  bodies  of  all  the  Indians  who  had  fallen  near 
the  island  were  also  covered  with  snow.  Those 
nearer  the  shore  were  carried  off  by  the  Iroquois 
in  their  retreat. 

"  I  suppose,  Peter,"  Harold  said  as  they  sat  round 
the  fire  that  evening,  "you  have  been  in  quite  as 
awkward  scrapes  as  this  before  and  have  got  out  all 
right  T 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  331 

"  Why,  this  business  ain't  nothing  to  that  affair 
we  had  by  Lake  Champlain.  That  were  as  bad  a 
business,  when  we  was  surrounded  in  that  log  hut, 
as  ever  I  went  through — and  I've  been  through  a 
good  many.  Pearson  and  me  nigh  got  our  har 
raised  more  nor  once  in  that  business  of  Pontiac's. 
He  were  a  great  chief  and  managed  to  get  up  the 
biggest  confederation  agin'  us  that's  ever  been 
known.  It  were  well  for  us  that  that  business  didn't 
begin  a  few  years  earlier  when  we  was  fighting  the 
French ;  but  you  see,  so  long  as  we  and  they  was  at 
war  the  Indians  hoped  as  we  might  pretty  well  ex- 
terminate each  other,  and  then  they  intended  to 
come  in  and  finish  off  whoever  got  the  best  of  it. 
Waal,  the  English  they  drove  the  French  back  and 
finally  a  treaty  was  made  in  Europe  by  which  the 
French  agreed  to  clear  out. 

"  It  was  jest  about  this  time  as  Pontiac  worked 
upon  the  tribes  to  lay  aside  their  own  quarrels  and 
jine  the  French  in  fighting  agin'  us.  He  got  the 
Senecas,  and  the  Delawares,  and  the  Shawnees,  the 
Wyandots,  and  a  lot  of  other  tribes  from  the  lakes 
and  the  hull  country  between  the  Niagara  Kiver  and 
the  Mississippi. 

"  Jack  Pearson  and  me,  we  happened  to  be  with 
the  Miamis  when  the  bloody  belt  which  Pontiac 
were  sending  round  as  a  signal  for  war  arrived  at 
the  fort  there.  Jack  and  me  knew  the  redskins 
pretty  well,  and  saw  by  their  manner  as  something 
unusual  had  happened.  I  went  to  the  commandant 
of  the  fort  and  told  him  as  much.  He  didn't  think 


332  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

much  of  ray  news.  The  soldier  chaps  always 
despises  the  redskins  till  they  see  'em  come  yelling 
along  with  their  tomahawks,  and  then  as  often  as 
not  it's  jest  the  other  way.  Howsumdever,  he 
agreed  at  last  to  pay  any  amount  of  trade  goods 
I  might  promise  to  the  Hiamis  if  the  news  turned 
out  worth  finding  out.  I  discovered  that  a  great 
palaver  was  to  be  held  that  evening  at  the  chief's 
village,  which  was  a  mile  away  from  the  fort. 

"  I'd  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  Miamis  and  had 
fought  with  'em  against  the  Shawnees,  so  I  could  do 
as  much  with  'em  as  most.  Off  Pearson  and  I  goes 
to  the  chief ;  and  I  says  to  him,  ;  Look  ye  here, 
chief,  I've  good  reasons  to  believe  you've  got  a  mes- 
sage from  Pontiac  and  that  it  means  trouble.  Now 
don't  you  go  and  let  yourself  be  led  away  by  him. 
I've  heard  rumors  that  he's  getting  up  a  great  con- 
federation agin'  the  English.  But  I  tell  you,  chief, 
if  all  the  redskins  on  this  continent  was  to 
jine  together,  they  couldn't  do  nothing  agin  the 
English.  I  don't  say  as  you  mightn't  wipe  out  a 
number  of  little  border  forts,  for  no  doubt  you 
might ;  but  what  would  come  of  it  ?  England  would 
send  out  as  many  men  as  there  are  leaves  in  the 
forest,  who  would  scorch  up  the  redskin  nations  as  a 
fire  on  the  prairie  scorches  up  the  grass.  I  tell  yer, 
chief,  no  good  can  come  on  it.  Don't  build  yer 
hopes  on  the  French ;  they've  acknowledged  that 
they're  beaten  and  are  all  going  out  of  the  country. 
It'd  be  best  for  }rou  and  your  people  to  stick  to  the 
English.  They  can  reward  their  friends  handsomely, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  333 

and  ef  you  jine  with  Pontiac,  sooner  or  later  trouble 
and  ruin  will  come  upon  you.  Now  I  can  promise 
you,  in  the  name  of  the  officer  of  the  fort,  a  good 
English  rifle  for  yerself  and  fifty  guns  for  your 
braves  and  ten  bales  of  blankets  ef  yer'll  make  a 
clean  breast  of  it  and  first  tell  us  what  devilry 
Pontiac  is  up  to  and  next  jine  us  freely — or  anyway 
hold  aloof  altogether  from  this  conspiracy  till  yer 
see  how  things  is  going.' 

"Waal,  the  chief  he  thought  the  matter  over  and 
said  he'd  do  his  best  at  the  palaver  that  night,  but 
till  that  was  over  and  he  knew  what  the  council 
decided  on  he  couldn't  tell  me  what  the  message 
was.  I  was  pretty  well  satisfied,  for  Prairie  Dog 
were  a  great  chief  in  his  tribe,  and  I  felt  pretty 
sartin  he'd  git  the  council  to  go  the  way  he  wanted. 
I  told  him  I'd  be  at  the  fort  and  that  the  gov- 
ernor would  expect  a  message  after  the  council  was 
over. 

"  It  was  past  midnight  when  the  chief  came  with 
four  of  his  braves.  He  told  us  that  the  tribe  had 
received  a  bloody  belt  from  Pontiac  and  a  message 
that  the  Mingoes  and  Dela wares,  the  Wyandotsand 
Shawnees  were  going  to  dig  up  the  hatchet  against 
the  whites,  and  calling  upon  him  and  his  people  to 
massacre  the  garrison  of  the  fort  and  then  march  to 
jine  Pontiac,  who  was  about  to  fall  upon  Detroit 
and  Fort  Pitt.  They  were  directed  to  send  the  belt 
on  to  the  tribes  on  the  Wabash,  but  they  loved  the 
English  and  were  determined  to  take  no  part 
against  them;  so  they  delivered  the  belt  to  their 


334  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

friend  the  white  commander,  and  hoped  that  he'd 
tell  the  great  king  in  England  that  the  Miamis  were 
faithful  to  him.  The  governor  highly  applauded 
their  conduct  and  said  he'd  send  the  news  to  the 
English  governor  at  New  York,  and  at  once  ordered 
the  presents  which  I  promised  to  be  delivered  to  the 
chief  for  himself  and  his  braves.  "When  they'd  gone 
he  said : 

"  '  You  were  right,  Peter.  This  news  is  important 
indeed,  and  it's  clear  that  a  terrible  storm's  about  to 
bust  upon  the  frontier.  "Whether  the  Miamis  will 
keep  true  is  doubtful ;  but  now  I'm  on  my  guard 
they'll  find  it  difficult  to  take  the  fort.  But  the 
great  thing  is  to  carry  the  news  of  what's  happened 
to  Detroit,  to  put  them  on  their  guard.  Will  you 
and  Pearson  start  at  once  ?' 

"  In  course  we  agreed,  though  it  was  clear  that 
the  job  was  a  risksome  one,  for  it  wouldn't  be  no 
easy  matter  to  journey  through  the  woods  with  the 
hull  redskin  tribes  out  on  the  war-path. 

"  The  commander  wanted  me  to  carry  the  belt 
with  me,  but  I  said,  *  I  might  jest  as  well  carry  my 
death-warrant  to  the  first  redskins  as  I  come  across.' 
Major  Gladwin,  who  commanded  at  Detroit,  knew 
me,  and  I  didn't  need  to  carry  any  proof  of  my 
story.  So  afore  the  Miamis  had  been  gone  half  an 
hour  Jack  and  me  took  the  trail  for  Detroit.  We 
had  got  a  canoe  hid  on  the  lake  a  few  miles  away, 
and  we  was  soon  on  board.  The  next  morning  we 
seed  a  hull  fleet  of  canoes  coming  down  the  lake. 
We  might  have  made  a  race  with  'em,  but  being 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  335 

fully  manned  the  chances  was  as  they'd  have  cut  us 
off,  and  seeing  that  at  present  war  had  not  been 
declared,  \ve  judged  it  best  to  seem  as  if  we  weren't 
afeared.  So  we  paddles  up  to  'ein  and  found  as  they 
were  a  lot  of  Wyandots  whose  hunting-grounds  lay 
up  by  Lake  Superior.  In  course  I  didn't  ask  no 
questions  as  to  whar  they  was  going,  but  jest  men- 
tioned as  we  was  on  our  way  down  to  Detroit. 
'  We're  going  that  way  too,'  the  chief  said,  '  and'll 
be  glad  to  have  our  white  brothers  with  us.'  So  we 
paddled  along  together  until,  about  noon,  they 
landed.  Nothing  was  said  to  us  as  how  we  were 
prisoners,  but  we  could  see  as  how  we  was  jest  as 
much  captives  as  ef  we'd  been  tied  with  buckskin 
ropes. 

"  Jack  and  me  talked  it  over  and  agreed  as  it  was 
no  manner  o'  use  trying  to  make  our  escape,  but 
that  as  long  as  they  chose  to  treat  us  as  guests  we'd 
best  seem  perfectly  contented  and  make  no  show  of 
considering  as  they  was  on  the  war-path  ;  although, 
seeing  as  they  had  no  women  or  children  with 
'em,  a  baby  could  have  known  as  they  were  up  to 
no  good. 

"  The  next  morning  they  started  again  at  day- 
break, and  after  paddling  some  hours  landed  and 
hid  away  their  canoes  and  started  on  foot.  Nothing 
was  said  to  us,  but  we  saw  as  we  was  expected  to 
do  as  they  did.  We  went  on  till  we  was  within  ten 
mile  of  Detroit  and  then  we  halted.  I  thought  it 
were  best  to  find  out  exactly  how  we  stood,  so  Jack 
and  I  goes  up  to  the  chief  and  says  that  as  we  was 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

hear  Detroit  we  would  jest  say  good-by  to  him  and 
tramp  in. 

"'Why  should  my  white  brothers  hurry?'  he 
Baid.  '  It  is  not  good  for  them  to  go  on  alone,  for 
the  woods  are  very  full  of  Indians.'  '  But,'  I  said, 
*  the  hatchet's  buried  between  the  whites  and  the 
redskins,  so  there's  no  danger  in  the  woods.'  The 
chief  waved  his  hand.  *  My  white  brothers  have 
joined  the  Wyandots,  and  they  will  tarry  with  them 
until  they  go  into  Detroit.  There  are  manj'  red- 
skins there,  and  there  will  be  a  grand  palaver.  The 
Wyandots  will  be  present.' 

"  Jack  and  me  made  no  signs  of  being  dissatisfied, 
but  the  position  weren't  a  pleasant  one,  I  can  tell 
you.  Here  was  the  redskins  a-clustering  like  bees 
around  Detroit,  ready  to  fall  upon  the  garrison  and 
massacre  'em,  and  we,  who  was  the  only  men  as 
knew  of  the  danger,  was  prisoners  among  the  red- 
skins. It  was  sartin,  too,  that  though  they  mightn't 
take  our  lives  till  they  had  attacked  the  garrison, 
they  was  only  keeping  us  for  the  pleasure  of  tor- 
turing us  quietly  arterward.  The  situation  was 
plain  enough ;  the  question  was,  what  were  to  be 
done?  There  was  about  sixty  of  the  varmints 
around  us  sitting  by  their  fires  and  looking  as  ef 
they  didn't  even  know  as  we  was  there,  but  we 
knew  as  sharp  eyes  was  watching  us  and  that  afore 
we'd  gone  five  yards  the  hull  lot  would  be  on  our 
track. 

"  Jack  and  me  didn't  say  much  to  each  other,  for 
we  knew  how  closely  we  was  watched  and  didn't 


TRUSS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  337 

want  'em  to  think  as  we  was  planning  our  escape, 
so  after  a  few  words  we  sat  down  by  one  of  the 
fires  till  it  got  time  to  lie  down  for  the  night ;  but 
we  had  both  been  a-thinking.  We  saw  when  we 
lay  down  that  the  Injuns  lay  pretty  well  around 
us,  while  two  on  'em,  with  their  rifles  ready  to 
hand,  sat  down  by  a  fire  close  by  and  threw  on  some 
logs,  as  if  they  intended  to  watch  all  night. 

"  It  was  a  goodish-size  clearing  as  they'd  chose 
for  a  camping-ground,  and  we  should  have  had  to 
run  some  distance  afore  we  got  to  the  shelter  of 
the  trees.  The  moon  too  was  up,  and  it  were  well- 
nigh  as  light  as  day,  and  anxious  as  we  was  to  git 
awa}%  we  agreed  that  there  were  no  chance  of  slid- 
ing off,  but  that  it'd  be  better  to  wait  till  next 
day. 

"  When  we  woke  our  guns  was  gone.  We  com- 
plained to  the  chief,  who  said  coldly  that  his  young 
men  would  carry  the  guns  and  give  'em  back  to  us 
when  we  got  to  Detroit.  It  were  no  use  saying 
more,  for  he  might  at  any  moment  have  ordered 
us  to  be  bound,  and  it  were  better  to  keep  the  use 
of  our  legs  as  long  as  we  could. 

"  For  two  days  we  stayed  there,  not  seeing  the 
shadow  of  a  chance  of  gitting  away.  Several  red- 
skin runners  come  in  and  spoke  to  the  chief,  and 
we  got  more  and  more  anxious  to  be  off.  We  was 
still  allowed  to  walk  about,  provided  we  didn't  go 
near  the  edge  of  the  clearing  ;  whenever  we  went 
that  way  two  Injuns  who  kept  guard  by  turns  over 
us  shouted  to  us  to  go  no  f  urder. 


338  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  The  third  morning,  after  a  runner  had  come  in, 
the  chief  gave  the  word  for  a  move  and  we  set  out. 
"We  saw  they  wasn't  taking  the  direct  line  to  De- 
troit, although  still  going  in  that  direction,  and 
after  two  hours'  marching  through  the  woods  we 
got  down  on  to  the  Detroit  Biver.  Here  was  a  big 
encampment,  and  some  three  or  four  hundred 
Shawnees  and  Delawares  was  gathered  here.  A 
chief  come  up  to  us  as  we  entered  the  open.  He 
gave  an  order  to  the  "Wyandots,  and  in  a  minute 
we  was  bound  hand  and  foot,  carried  to  a  small 
wigwam,  and  chucked  down  inside  like  two  logs  of 
wood. 

"  After  a  little  talk  Jack  and  I  agreed  as  after  all 
we  had  a  better  chance  of  escaping  now  than  when 
we  was  watched  by  a  hull  tribe,  and  we  concluded 
that  there  weren't  no  time  to  be  lost.  The  Wyan- 
dots had  no  doubt  been  brought  up  in  readiness  to 
strike  the  blow,  and  even  if  we'd  known  nothing 
about  the  belt,  we'd  have  been  sure  that  mischief 
was  intended  when  these  three  bands  of  red 
varmints  had  gathered  so  close  to  the  fort.  It  was 
sartin  we  couldn't  do  nothing  till  night,  but  we  both 
strained  our  cords  as  much  as  possible  to  get  'em  to 
stretch  a  bit  and  give  us  a  better  chance  of  slipping 
out  of  'em.  No  one  come  near  us  for  some  time, 
and  as  we  could  hear  the  sound  of  voices  we  guessed 
that  a  great  council  was  taking  place,  and  we 
agreed  at  once  to  loosen  the  knots,  so  as  to  be  in 
readiness  for  work,  as  like  enough  they'd  put  a 
sentry  over  us  at  night. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  339 

"  It  was  a  risky  thing  to  try,  for  we  might  be  dis- 
turbed at  any  minute.  Still  we  thought  it  were  our 
only  chance,  so  Jack  set  to  work  with  his  teeth  at 
my  knots  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  loosened 
them  ;  then  I  undone  his.  We  unbound  our  thongs 
and  then  fastened  'em  up  again  so  that  to  the  eye 
they  looked  jest  the  same  as  before,  but  really  with 
a  jerk  they'd  fall  ofl. 

"  I  must  teach  you  how  to  do  that,  Harold,  some 
time;  ye  may  find  it  of  use.  The  knots  was  tied  up 
as  tightly  as  before,  and  it  would  have  needed  a 
close  examination  to  see  that  we  was  not  tied  as 
tight  as  ever.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  and  we  was 
as  quiet  as  mice,  for  we  could  hear  two  redskins 
talking  outside.  You  may  guess  we  was  pretty 
slick  about  it ;  and  I  don't  know  as  ever  I  felt  so 
thankful  as  when  we  laid  ourselves  down  again,  jest 
as  we  had  been  throwed,  without  the  slit  in  the  tent 
having  opened  and  a  red  face  peered  in. 

"  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  a  redskin  come  in 
and  looked  at  us.  Seeing,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  as 
we  hadn't  moved,  he  went  out  again.  Jest  before 
nightfall  two  on  'em  came  in  together,  rolled  us 
over,  and  looked  at  the  knots ;  they  found  as  these 
was  all  right ;  then  one  sat  down  jest  in  the  door 
of  the  tent  and  the  other  took  his  place  outside. 
We  waited  some  hours. 

"  At  last  the  fires  burned  low  and  the  camp  got 
quiet.  We  knew  it  was  well-nigh  hopeless  to  wait 
for  'em  all  to  be  asleep,  for  redskin  natur'  is  a  rest- 
less one,  and  especially  when  there's  anything  on 


£40  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAQ. 

hand  they'll  turn  out  two  or  three  times  in  the 
night  to  smoke  their  pipes  by  the  fires,  and  they'd 
be  the  more  restless  since,  as  we'd  seen,  there  was 
only  four  or  five  wigwams  and  all  would  be  sleep- 
ing on  the  ground.  At  last  I  thought  the  time 
were  come  and  gave  Jack  a  nudge  and  we  both  sat 
up. 

"  It  were  a  ticklish  moment,  young  un,  I  can  tell 
ye,  for  we  knew  that  it  were  scarce  possible  to  get 
off  without  the  alarm  being  raised.     Ef  the  wigwam, 
had  stood  close  to  the  edge  of  the  forest  it  would 
have  been  compar'tively  easy,  for  once  among  the 
trees  we  might  have  hoped  to  have  outrun  'em, 
though  the  moon  was  so  pesky  bright ;  but  unfortu- 
nately it  was  built  not  far  from  the  river,  and  we 
should  have  to  cross  the  hull  clearing  to  gain  the 
woods.    The  chances  weren't  good,  I  can  tell  you, 
but  it  was  clear  as  we  had  to  try  'em.    We  had 
purposely  moved  about  pretty  often  so  that  our 
movements  would  not  attract  the  attention  of  the 
Injun  now.     It  didn't  take  a  minute  to  slip  out  of 
the  cords,  which,  tight  as  they  looked,  really  were 
not  fastened  at  all,  there  being  two  loose  double 
ends  between  our  arms  and  our  bodies.    "We  could 
see  the  outside  sentry  through  the  open  door,  and 
we  waited  till  he  turned  his  back  and  looked  out  on 
the  river.    Then  suddenly  I  gripped  the  redskin 
sitting  at  the  entrance  by  the  neck  with  both  my 
hands,  pretty  tight  as  you  may  reckon,  and  Jack 
ketched  his  knife  from  bis  telt  and  buried  it  in  his 
body. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  341 

"  That  was  soon  over,  and  not  a  sound  made 
as  would  have  startled  a  mouse.  Then,  standing 
up,  I  made  a  spring  on  to  the  sentry,  while  Jack 
used  his  knife  as  before.  We  let  him  drop  softly 
down  and  prepared  to  bolt,  when  of  a  sudden  the 
war-whoop  sounded  not  twenty  feet  away.  One  of 
the  redskins,  finding  the  ground  hard,  I  suppose,  was 
strolling  up  to  speak  to  the  sentry  when  he  saw  us 
tackle  him.  For  a  moment  he  were  too  much  sur- 
prised to  holler,  but  when  he  did  he  gave  a  yell  as 
brought  the  hull  tribe  to  their  feet.  Jack  had 
taken  up  the  sentry's  rifle. 

" '  Ye'd  better  have  held  yer  tongue,'  he  said  as 
he  leveled  on  the  redskin,  and  before  the  whoop  was 
out  of  his  lips  the  bullet  hit  him  and  he  went  down 
like  a  log.  It  didn't  need  to  look  round  to  see  as 
there  was  no  chance  of  getting  to  the  trees,  for  two 
hundred  redskins  was  between  us  and  them.  '  We 
must  take  to  the  river,  Jack,'  I  said.  It  were  but 
thirty  yards  away.  I  expected  every  moment,  as 
we  run,  to  hear  the  rifle  bullets  whistle  round  us, 
but  I  guess  Pontiac  had  given  orders  that  no  gun 
was  to  be  fired  lest  it  might  be  heard  at  the  fort. 
Anyhow,  not  a  shot  was  fired  and  we  got  down  safe 
to  the  bank. 


343  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE     SCOUT'S     STORY. 

"  LUCKILY  enough  there  was  a  canoe  lying  close  at 
our  feet.  '  Shove  it  out,  Jack,'  says  I,  '  and  then 
keep  along  the  bank.'  We  gave  it  a  shove  with  all 
our  strength  and  sent  it  dancing  out  into  the  river. 
Then  we  dived  in  and  swum  down  close  under  the 
bank.  There  was  bushes  growing  all  along,  and  we 
came  ap  each  time  under  'em.  The  redskins  was 
some  little  distance  behind  us  as  we  reached  the 
river,  and  in  course  thought  we  had  throwed  our- 
selves flat  in  the  canoe.  In  a  minute  or  two  they 
got  another  and  paddled  off  to  it,  and  we  soon  heard 
the  shout  as  they  raised  when  they  found  it  was 
empty.  By  this  time  we  was  a  hundred  yards  be- 
low the  spot  where  we  had  taken  to  the  water,  and 
knowing  as  they  would  be  off  along  the  bank  and 
would  find  us  in  no  time,  we  scrambled  straight  up 
and  made  for  the  trees. 

"  "We  was  within  fifty  yards  of  the  edge  of  the 
forest,  and  none  of  the  redskins  was  near  us,  as  the 
hull  body  had  clustered  down  at  the  spot  where  we 
had  jumped  in.  We  hadn't  fairly  set  foot  on  the 
bank  afore  they  saw  us  and  with  a  whoop — which 
sometimes  wakes  me  even  now  in  my  sleep  and 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  343 

makes  me  sit  up  with  the  sweat  on  my  forehead — 
they  started.  I  could  run  faster  then  than  I  can 
now,  and  ye  may  guess  I  went  my  best.  We 
plunged  into  the  trees  and  went  as  hard  as  we  could 
foot  it,  the  redskins  being  fifty  or  sixty  yards 
behind. 

"  Our  hope  was  to  find  a  place  with  a  thickish 
underwood.  It  was  darker  a  deal  under  the  trees 
than  in  the  clearing,  still  it  was  not  dark  enough  to 
hide  us  from  redskin  eyes.  "We  run  straight,  for  we 
knew  they  could  see  us,  and  arter  about  four  hun- 
dred yards  we  come  upon  a  place  where  the  under- 
growth grew  thick.  Here  we  began  to  dodge  'em, 
turning  now  one  way  and  now  another,  keeping  al- 
ways low  in  the  bushes.  They  had  lost  us  by  sight 
now,  but  there  was  so  many  of  'em  that  we  pretty 
nigh  despaired  of  getting  through.  Some  of  'em 
had  tried  to  follow  us,  but  the  best  part  had  run 
straight  on  for  a  bit,  and  then,  when  sure  they  had 
headed  us,  scattered  right  and  left,  so  that  they 
were  ahead  of  us  now  as  well  as  on  our  traces,  and 
we  could  hear  rem  shouting  all  round  us,  so  we  did 
the  only  thing  there  was  to  be  done  and  made  the 
best  of  our  way  back  to  the  clearing,  keeping  low 
and  taking  good  care  not  to  cross  any  patch  where 
the  moonlight  through  the  trees  fell  on  the  ground. 

"  It  were  lucky  for  us  that  it  was  a  camp  of 
braves.  Had  it  been  an  ordinary  redskin  encamp- 
ment there  would  have  been  squaws,  and  boys,  and 
wuss  still,  dogs,  who  would  have  seed  us  the  moment 
we  got  back;  but  being  all  braves  on  the  war-path 


344  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  hull  gang  had  started  arter  us,  and  not  a  soul 
had  remained  in  the  clearing.  We  did  not  rest  there 
long,  you  may  be  sure,  but  made  straight  down  to 
the  water.  There  we  picked  out  a  canoe,  crossed 
the  river,  and  got  into  the  shade  of  the  trees  the 
other  side.  Then  we  kept  along  down  it  till  we  got 
close  to  the  fort  of  Detroit. 

"  "We  could  see  a  good  many  smoldering  fires 
out  afore  it,  and  guessed  that  a  strong  body  of  red- 
skins, pretending  to  be  friends,  had  camped  there. 
We  made  round  'em  and  reached  the  gate  of  the 
fort  safe.  The  sentries  wouldn't  let  us  in,  but  when 
a  sergeant  was  fetched  it  turned  out  as  he  knew  us, 
seeing  that  we  had  been  scouting  out  from  thar  in 
the  summer.  Pretty  thankful  we  was  when  the 
gate  closed  arter  us.  Our  news  would  keep,  so  we 
waited  till  morning  afore  we  saw  the  major,  and 
then  told  him  the  whole  history  of  the  matter,  and 
how  Pontiac  had  raised  all  the  tribes  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi against  us. 

"  We  found  that  Pontiac  had  been  into  the  camp 
with  fifty  of  his  warriors  three  days  afore,  profess- 
ing great  friendship,  and  had  said  that  in  two  or 
three  days  he  would  call  again  and  pay  a  format 
visit. 

"  Detroit  then  was  but  a  trading  post,  defended 
by  a  stockade  twenty  feet  high  and  twelve  hundred 
yards  in  circumference.  About  fifty  houses  of  trad- 
ers and  storekeepers  stood  within  it.  The  garrison 
was  composed  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men 
of  the  Eighteenth  Kegiment  and  eight  officers. 


TRUB  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  345 

They  had  three  guns,  two  six-pounders,  and  a 
three-pounder,  and  three  mortars,  but  their  car- 
riages was  so  old  and  rotten  that  they  was  of 
no  real  service.  Two  vessels  mounting  some 
small  guns  lay  in  the  river  off  the  fort.  The  gov- 
ernor was  a  good  soldier,  but  he  was  naturally 
startled  at  hearing  that  there  was  something  like  a 
thousand  redskins  in  the  woods  round  ;  but  he  said 
that  now  he  had  warning  he  was  not  afraid  of  'em. 
A  messenger  was  sent  off  in  a  canoe  to  carry  the 
tidings  east  and  to  ask  for  reinforcements,  and  the 
traders  was  all  told  to  get  their  arms  ready. 

"  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  Pontiac  was 
seen  a-coming  with  three  hundred  warriors.  There 
had  been  no  declaration  of  war,  and  the  redskins 
was  supposed  to  be  friendly,  so  the  major  didn't  like 
to  be  the  first  to  commence  hostilities,  as  folks  who 
knew  nothing  of  it  might  likely  enough  have  raised 
an  outcry  about  massacring  the  poor  Injuns.  How- 
sumever,  he  called  all  the  troops  under  arms  and 
disposed  'em  behind  the  houses.  The  traders,  too, 
with  their  rifles  were  drawn  up  ready.  The  gates 
was  opened  when  Pontiac  arrived  and  he  and  his 
warriors  entered.  They  had  left  their  rifles  behind 
them,  as  they  pretended  that  their  mission  was  a 
peaceful  one,  but  they  had  all  got  their  tomahawks 
and  knives  under  their  blankets.  They  advanced 
in  a  body  toward  where  Major  Gladwin  and  his 
officers  was  standing  in  front  of  his  quarters. 

"  Jack  and  me  and  two  or  three  scouts  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  fort  stood  just  behind  careless 


346  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAB. 

like  with  our  rifles,  so  that  in  case  of  any  sudden 
attack  we  could  keep  them  back  for  a  moment  or 
two.  I  noticed  that  Pontiac  carried  in  his  hand  a 
wampum  belt.  I  noticed  it  because  it  was  green  on 
one  side  and  white  on  the  other,  and  it  turned  out 
arterward  that  when  he  twisted  that  belt  with  two 
hands  it  was  to  be  the  signal  for  an  attack. 

"  Pontiac  spoke  soft  for  a  time.  He  was  a  fine 
redskin  ;  that  can't  be  denied.  He  was  a  Catawba 
by  birth,  but  had  been  adopted  into  the  tribe  of 
Ottawas  and  had  risen  to  be  their  chief.  He  were 
a  great  brave  and  one  of  the  best  speakers  I 
ever  heard.  He  was  a  wise  chief,  as  you  may  guess 
by  the  way  he  got  all  the  tribes  to  lay  aside  their 
private  quarrels  and  make  common  cause  against 
us.  I  watched  him  close.  He  kept  his  eyes  on  the 
major  and  spoke  as  cool  and  as  calm  as  if  he  had 
nothing  on  his  mind  ;  but  I  could  see  the  warrior 
glancing  about,  wondering,  no  doubt,  what  had  be- 
come of  the  soldiers.  Presently  the  chief  changed 
his  tone  and  began  to  pretend  as  he  was  in  a  rage 
at  some  grievance  or  other. 

"  The  major  jest  put  his  whistle  to  his  lips,  and  in 
a  moment  from  behind  the  houses  the  soldiers  and 
traders  marched  out  rifle  in  hand.  You  never  saw 
a  more  disgusted  crew  than  them  redskins.  I'll  do 
Pontiac  justice  to  say  that  he  never  so  much  as 
moved,  but  jest  went  on  talking  as  if  he  hadn't 
noticed  the  troops  at  all.  The  major  answered  him 
in  the  same  way,  and  after  half  an  hour's  talk  the 
redskins  went  out  again  without  so  much  as  a  knife 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  347 

having  been  shown.  Major  Gladwin  gave  Jack  and 
me  papers  testifying  as  how  we  had  saved  Detroit 
from  destruction,  and  sent  an  account  of  it  to  Gov- 
ernor Amherst,  and  to  this  day  Jack  and  me  draws 
special  pensions  for  that  'ere  business  besides  what 
we  earned  as  British  scouts." 

"  That  was  an  adventure,  Peter !"  Harold  said. 
"  They  did  not  take  Detroit  after  all,  did  they  F 

"No;  we  beat  'em  off  handsome  when  they 
tried  it.  Then  they  laid  siege  to  Fort  Pitt  and 
tried  very  hard  there  too,  but  the  place  held  out  till 
some  troops  who  had  come  up  marched  out  from 
here  and  raised  the  siege.  At  some  of  the  little 
places  they  succeeded.  Lots  of  settlers  was  massa- 
cred. At  Fort  Sandusky  Ensign  Paulli  and  the 
garrison  was  massacred  by  a  party  of  Hurons  and 
Ottawas  who  come  in  as  friends.  This  was  on  the 
same  day  as  they  had  intended  to  do  for  us  at 
Detroit. 

"At  St.  Joseph's  an  English  ensign  with  four- 
teen soldiers  was  killed  by  the  Pottawatomies,  but 
nowhere  did  Pontiac  obtain  any  real  successes. 
The  French  in  Illinois  were  preparing  to  leave  and 
he  couldn't  git  no  assistance  from  them.  After  the 
siege  of  Fort  Pitt  was  raised  peace  was  patched  up 
again.  Pontiac's  confederacy,  finding  as  they 
hadn't  got  none  of  the  successes  he  promised  'em, 
was  beginning  to  break  up,  and  the  English  saw 
no  chance  of  doing  any  good  by  hunting  the  red- 
skins among  the  forests,  so  both  parties  was  willing 
for  peace. 


348  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAQ. 

"  Pontiac  never  gave  any  more  trouble,  and  some 
years  arterward,  coming  into  one  of  the  towns,  he 
was  killed  by  an  Injun  who  had  a  private  grudge 
agin'  him.  And  now  I'm  longing  for  a  quiet  pipe, 
and  you'd  better  turn  in.  There's  no  saying 
whether  we'll  have  a  quiet  night  of  it." 

A  fortnight  passed  without  further  incident. 
Then  the  sky  became  overcast,  and  Peter  and  the 
Indians  agreed  that  snow  would  soon  fall.  All 
hands  were  at  once  set  to  work  to  make  up  their 
stores  into  packages.  The  deer-skins  and  blankets 
were  tied  in  bundles ;  besides  these  there  were  only 
two  kegs  of  powder  and  about  two  hundred  pounds 
of  frozen  fish. 

Harold  was  in  high  glee  at  the  thought  that  their 
imprisonment  was  to  come  to  an  end,  although 
there  was  no  doubt  that  the  attempt  would  be  a 
hazardous  one,  as  the  backwoodsmen  were  sure  that 
the  instant  the  snow  began  to  fall  the  Indians 
would  be  out  in  great  numbers  round  the  island  to 
prevent  the  defenders  taking  advantage  of  the 
storm. 

Several  times  Harold  observed  the  two  back- 
woodsmen talking  with  the  Seneca  chief  and  look- 
ing at  the  sky,  and  he  thought  that  their  counte- 
nances expressed  some  anxiety. 

"  What  is  it,  Peter  ?"  he  asked  at  length.  "  Don't 
you  think  we  shall  have  a  snow-storm  ?" 

"  We  may  have  snow,"  Peter  said,  "  but  I  think 
it's  more  than  a  snow-storm  that's  coming.  The 
clouds  are  flying  past  very  fast,  and  it  seems  to  me 
as  ef  we're  in  for  a  big  gale  of  wind." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  349 

"  But  that  will  drift  the  snow  and  cover  our 
footsteps  almost  as  well  as  a  snow-storm,"  Harold 
said. 

"Yes,  it'll  do  all  that,"  the  scout  answered. 

"  What  is  the  objection  to  it,  Peter  ?" 

"  In  the  first  place,  lad,  ef  it  don't  snow  we  may 
stop  where  we  are,  for  there'd  be  no  chance  of  get 
ting  through  the  Injuns  unless  it  snowed  so  thick 
you  couldn't  see  five  feet  away.  It'll  be  difficult 
enough  anyhow.  There'll  be  four  or  five  hundred 
of  the  varmints  out,  for  they'll  bring  even  their 
boys  with  'em,  so  as  to  form  a  pretty  close  line 
round  the  island.  Our  onlv  chance'll  be  for  the 

*/ 

Senecas  to  go  first,  and  to  silence,  afore  they  can 
give  the  alarm,  any  they  might  meet  on  our  line. 
That  might  be  done  in  a  heavy  snow-storm,  but 
without  snow  it  would  be  impossible.  In  the  next 
place,  even  if  we  got  through  'em  we'd  have  to 
carry  our  canoe." 

"  Why  ?"  Harold  asked,  surprised.  "  What  good 
could  the  canoe  be  to  us,  with  the  lake  frozen 
hard  ?" 

"  You  see,  the  wind  is  on  the  shore  here,  lad,  and 
when  it  does  blow  on  these  lakes  it  blows  fit  to  take 
the  har  off  your  head.  It's  as  much  as  a  man  can 
do  to  make  way  agin'  it,  and  I  doubt  whether  the 
gals  could  face  it  even  with  our  help.  As  to  carry- 
ing a  canoe  in  its  teeth,  it  couldn't  be  done." 

"  But  why  carry  the  canoe  at  jail,  Peter  ?  That's 
what  I  cannot  understand." 

"  Waal,  you  see,  lad,  the  force  of  the  wind  acting 


350  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

on  sech  a  big  sheet  of  ice  will  move  it,  and  like 
enough  you'd  see  it  piled  up  in  a  bank  forty  feet 
high  on  this  side  of  the  lake,  and  there'll  be  a  strip 
of  clear  water  half  a  mile  wide  on  the  other.  That's 
why  we  must  take  the  canoe." 

Harold  was  silent.  In  the  face  of  such  a  prob- 
ability, it  was  clear  that  they  must  incumber  them* 
selves  with  the  canoe. 

The  prevision  of  the  scout  proved  well  founded. 
Before  evening  the  wind  was  blowing  with  tre- 
mendous force.  Small  flakes  of  snow  were  driven 
before  it,  inflicting  stinging  blows  on  the  face  and 
eyes  of  those  who  ventured  out  of  shelter.  As  it 
became  dark  the  lookout  announced  that  he  could 
see  large  numbers  of  Indians  starting  from  the 
shore  at  some  distance  to  the  right  and  left  of  them, 
showing  that  the  redskins  were  fully  alive  to  the 
possibility  of  the  garrison  of  the  island  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  storm,  which  would  hide  their  trail, 
to  effect  their  escape. 

Every  hour  the  fury  of  the  gale  increased,  and  it 
was  unanimously  agreed  that  until  it  diminished  it 
would  be  impossible  for  the  girls  and  for  men  carry- 
ing a  canoe  to  face  it. 

Two  men  were  placed  on  watch  at  the  mouth  of 
the  cove,  where  mines  similar  to  the  first  had  been 
sunk  in  the  ice  in  a  semicircle  some  little  distance 
outside  that  before  exploded.  This  precaution  had 
been  taken  on  the  day  succeeding  the  great  repulse 
of  the  enemy,  although  the  scouts  felt  assured  that 
the  attempt  would  not  be  repeated.  But  it  was 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  351 

thought  possible  that  the  Indians  might  toward 
morning,  if  they  found  the  whites  did  not  attempt 
to  pass  them,  take  advantage  of  the  storm  to  at- 
tempt a  surprise. 

After  it  became  dark  Cameron  and  Harold,  as 
was  their  custom,  went  into  the  girls'  hut  to  chat 
until  it  was  time  to  turn  in.  The  deer-skin  and 
blankets  had  again  been  unrolled,  and  the  covering 
of  snow  kept  the  interior  warm  in  spite  of  the  storm 
without. 

"  "What  is  that  noise  ?"  Nelly  asked  in  a  pause  of 
the  conversation. 

"I  don't  know,"  Harold  answered.  "I  have 
heard  it  for  some  time." 

All  were  silent,  intent  upon  listening.  Even 
above  the  fury  of  the  gale  a  dull  grinding  sound 
with  occasional  crashes  could  be  heard. 

"  I  think  it  must  be  the  ice,"  Harold  said.  "  I 
will  go  out  and  see." 

On  issuing  from  the  hut  he  was  for  a  time  blinded 
by  the  force  of  the  wind  and  the  flying  particles  of 
snow.  The  din  was  tremendous.  He  made  his  wa}T 
with  difficulty  in  the  teeth  of  the  storm  to  the  edge 
of  the  rocks.  Then  he  started  in  surprise.  A  great 
bank  of  cakes  and  fragments  of  ice  was  heaped  up 
against  the  wall  of  the  rock,  crashing  and  grinding 
against  each  other  as  they  were  pressed  onward  by 
fresh  additions  from  beyond.  Already  the  bank 
was  nearly  level  with  the  top  of  the  rock,  and  some 
of  the  vast  blocks,  two  feet  in  thickness,  had  been 
thrust  on  to  it.  The  surface  of  the  lake  beyond 


352  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

was  no  longer  a  brilliant  white.  Every  particle  of 
snow  had  been  swept  away  and  the  dull  gray  of  the 
rough  ice  lay  unbroken. 

He  made  his  way  at  once  to  the  hut  of  the  men, 
and  just  as  he  reached  the  entrance  Peter  (who  had 
also  been  out  to  reconnoiter)  came  up,  and  before 
Harold  had  turned  to  speak  he  put  his  head  into  the 
hut. 

"  Turn  out,"  he  said.  "  I  tell  ye  we're  in  a  fix. 
This  ain't  no  common  gale.  I  don't  know  as  ever 
I've  been  in  a  worse  one." 

"  "What's  the  use  of  turning  out  ?"  Pearson  asked. 
"  We  can't  do  nothing  and  it's  warmer  here  a  sight 
than  it  is  outside." 

"  I  tell  ye  ye've  got  to  go.  The  ice  is  breaking 
up  fast  and  it's  level  with  the  top  of  the  island  al- 
ready. Unless  I'm  mistaken  there'll  be  forty  foot 
of  ice  piled  over  this  island  afore  an  hour." 

This  was,  indeed,  alarming  news.  And  in  a  min- 
ute the  occupants  of  the  hut  were  all  in  the  open 
air. 

"  You  can  call  in  your  scouts,  Seneca.  There 
ain't  no  fear  of  an  attack  to-night.  No  mortal  soul — 
not  even  an  Injun — could  stand  the  force  of  the 
wind  out  on  the  lake." 

A  very  short  examination  sufficed  to  show  the 
truth  of  Peter's  anticipations. 

Already  the  upper  part  of  the  bank  was  sliding 
over  the  rock,  and  it  was  clear  that  in  a  very  short 
time  the  whole  would  be  covered. 

"  What  is  to  be  done,  Peter  ?"  Harold  shouted. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  353 

"  "We  must  take  to  the  canoe.  There's  clear  water 
on  the  other  side." 

Harold  crossed  the  island  and  saw  that  what 
Peter  said  was  correct.  A  broad  strip  of  black 
water  stretched  away  in  the  darkness  toward  the 
shore.  The  whole  ice  sheet  was  moving  bodily  be- 
fore the  wind,  and  as  the  island  stood  up  in  its  course 
the  ice  to  windward  of  it  was  forced  up  over  it, 
while  under  its  lee  the  lake  was  clear.  Not  a  mo- 
ment was  lost.  The  canoe  was  got  out,  carried  over 
the  rocks,  and  carefully  lowered  into  the  water  un- 
der shelter  of  the  island.  All  the  stores  and  pro- 
visions were  lowered  into  it.  A  deer-skin  was 
spread  on  the  bottom,  and  the  girls,  having  been 
helped  down  into  the  boat,  were  told  to  lie  down 
and  were  then  covered  with  blankets.  The  men 
wrapped  themselves  up  in  skins  and  blankets  and 
took  their  places  in  the  canoe,  the  four  Indians 
taking  paddles. 

Quickly  as  the  preparations  had  been  made,  there 
were  but  a  few  feet  of  the  island  uncovered  by  the 
ice  as  the  last  man  descended  into  the  boat  and 
they  pushed  off  and,  after  a  couple  of  strokes,  lay 
with  the  boat's  head  facing  toward  the  island  at  a 
distance  of  fifty  yards  from  it.  Although  some- 
what sheltered  from  the  wind,  the  Indians  were 
obliged  to  paddle  hard  to  maintain  their  position. 
Harold  wondered  at  first  that  they  had  not  kept 
closer  to  the  island,  but  he  soon  understood  their 
reason  for  keeping  at  a  distance.  The  massive 
blocks  of  ice,  pressed  forward  by  the  irresistible 


354  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

force  behind,  began  to  shoot  from  the  top  of 
the  island  into  the  water,  gliding  far  on  be- 
neath the  surface  with  the  impetus  of  the  fall,  and 
then  shooting  up  again  with  a  force  which  would 
have  destroyed  the  canoe  at  once  had  they  touched 
it. 

Soon  a  perfect  cataract  of  ice  was  falling.  Peter 
and  Pearson  took  their  places  on  each  side  of  the 
bow  of  the  canoe,  with  poles  to  push  off  the  pieces 
as  they  drifted  before  the  gale  toward  the  shore. 
The  work  required  the  utmost  strength  and  care. 
One  touch  from  the  sharp-edged  blocks  would  have 
ripped  open  the  side  of  the  bark  canoe  like  a  knife, 
and  in  the  icy  cold  water,  incumbered  by  floating 
fragments  of  ice,  even  the  best  swimmer  could  not 
have  gained  the  solid  ice.  The  peril  was  great,  and 
it  needed  all  the  strength  and  activity  of  the  white 
men  and  the  skill  of  the  paddlers  to  avoid  the  dan- 
ger which  momentarily  threatened  them.  So  quickly 
did  the  blocks  float  down  upon  them  that  Pearson 
thought  it  might  be  impossible  to  avoid  them  all. 
The  skins,  therefore,  were  hung  round  the  boat, 
dropping  some  inches  into  the  water,  and  these, 
although  they  could  not  have  prevented  the  boat 
from  being  stove  in  by  the  larger  fragments,  yet 
protected  its  sides  from  the  contact  of  the  smaller 
ones. 

For  upward  of  an  hour  the  struggle  continued, 
and  Harold  felt  something  like  despair  at  the 
thought  of  a  long  night  passed  in  a  such  a  struggle. 
Presently  sounds  like  the  booming  of  cannon  were 
heard  above  the  gale. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  355 

"  "What  is  that  ?"  he  shouted  to  the  Seneca  chief, 
next  to  whom  he  was  sitting. 

"Ice  break  up,"  the  chief  replied.  "Break  up 
altogether." 

This  proved  to  be  the  case.  As  the  ice  was  driven 
away  from  the  further  side  of  the  lake  the  full  force 
of  the  wind  played  upon  the  water  there,  and  as  the 
streak  widened  a  heavy  sea  soon  got  up.  The  force 
of  the  swell  extended  under  the  ice,  aiding  the  effect 
of  the  wind  above,  and  the  vast  sheet  began  to 
break  up.  The  reports  redoubled  in  strength,  and 
frequently  the  ice  was  seen  to  heave  and  swell. 
Then  with  a  sound  like  thunder  it  broke  and  great 
cakes  were  forced  one  on  the  top  of  another,  and 
soon,  instead  of  a  level  plain  of  ice,  a  chaos  of 
blocks  were  tossing  about  on  the  waves. 

Harold  watched  the  change  with  anxiety.  No 
longer  was  the  channel  on  either  side  marked  by 
regular  defined  lines,  but  floating  pieces  encroached 
upon  it,  and  looking  toward  the  shore  the  channel 
appeared  to  be  altogether  lost.  The  danger  was 
overwhelming,  but  the  Indians,  paddling  with  in- 
creased strength,  urged  the  boat  forward  until 
within  ten  yards  of  the  island. 

A  few  minutes  before  such  an  approach  would 
have  assured  the  immediate  destruction  of  the  boat. 
But  Harold  saw  with  surprise  that  almost  simul- 
taneously with  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice-sheet  the 
fall  of  blocks  from  the  island  had  ceased.  A  mo- 
ment's reflection  showed  him  the  reason  of  this 
phenomenon.  With  the  break-up  of  the  ice-field 


356  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  pressure  from  behind  had  suddenly  ceased.  No 
longer  were  the  blocks  piled  on  the  island  pushed 
forward  by  the  tremendous  pressure  of  the  ice-field. 
The  torrent  was  stayed  and  they  could  approach 
the  island  with  safety.  As  soon  as  they  were  as- 
sured that  this  was  so  the  canoe  was  brought  close 
to  the  rocks. 

Pearson  leaped  ashore,  climbed  the  rocks  and  the 
ice  piled  twenty  feet  above  them,  and  with  his  pole 
convinced  himself  that  at  this  point  there  were  no 
loose  blocks  likely  to  fall.  Having  satisfied  himself 
on  this  head  he  descended  again  and  took  his  place 
in  the  boat.  This  was  moored  by  a  rope  a  few  feet 
long  to  a  bush  growing  from  a  fissure  in  the  rock 
close  to  the  water's  edge.  He  and  Peter  remained 
on  watch  with  their  poles  to  fend  off  any  pieces  of 
ice  which  might  be  brought  round  by  the  waves, 
while  the  rest  of  the  crew,  wrapping  themselves  up 
in  their  blankets,  lay  down  at  the  bottom  of  the 
boat. 

The  next  morning  the  storm  still  raged  and  the 
lake  presented  the  appearance  of  an  angry  sea. 
Sheltered  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  the  party 
were  protected  from  its  effects,  although  the  light 
canoe  rose  and  fell  on  the  heavy  swell.  The  ice  had 
wholly  disappeared  from  the  lake,  the  pieces  having 
been  ground  to  atoms  against  each  other  in  the 
storm.  Along  the  line  of  shore  there  was  a  great 
bank  of  ice  as  high  as  the  tree-tops. 

"  The  ways  of  the  Lord  are  won'erful,"  Donald 
Cameron  said.  "  The  storm  which  threatened  to 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  357 

be  our  destruction  hae  proved  our  salvation.  When 
it  abates  we  shall  be  able  to  paddle  down  the  lake 
without  fear  of  interruption." 

"  Yes,"  Peter  said,  "  the  varmints  are  not  likely 
to  follow  us.  In  the  first  place,  unless  they  thought 
of  taking  their  canoes  into  the  forest  when  the 
storm  first  began,  which  ain't  likely,  as  they  was 
a-thinking  only  of  cutting  off  our  escape,  they'd  've 
been  smashed  into  tinder.  In  the  second  place, 
they  couldn't  ketch  us  if  they  had  canoes,  for  as 
we've  eight  paddles,  counting  them  we  made  out  of 
the  seats  when  we  was  on  shore,  we'd  be  able  to 
laugh  at  'em.  And  lastly,  they've  had  such  a 
taste  of  the  quality  of  our  rifles  that  even  if  they 
had  a  dozen  canoes  on  hand  I  doubt  if  they'd  care 
to  attack  us.  No,  sir,  when  this  storm's  over  we 
have  nothing  to  do  but  paddle  down  to  the  settle- 
ments at  the  other  end  of  the  lake." 

Toward  the  afternoon  the  storm  abated,  and  next 
morning  the  sun  was  shining  brilliantly  and  the 
waves  had  gone  down  sufficiently  to  enable  the 
canoe  to  start  on  her  voyage. 

"Now,  boys,"  Pearson  said  cheerfully,  "ef  ye 
don't  want  to  git  froze  up  again  you'd  best  be 
sharp,  for  I  can  tell  ye  about  thirty-six  hours  of  this 
weather  and  the  lake'll  be  solid  again." 

Five  minutes  later  the  canoe  with  its  eight  sturdy 
paddlers  started  on  its  way,  speeding  like  an  arrow 
from  the  ice-covered  island  which  had  done  them 
such  good  service  in  their  greatest  need. 

"Now,  Jake,"   Peter  said,   "the  more  strength 


358  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

you  put  into  that  paddle  of  your'n  the  sooner  you'll 
have  a  piece  of  meat  atween  your  jaws." 

The  negro  grinned. 

"  Don't  talk  ob  him,  Massa  Peter ;  don't  say  a 
word  about  him  until  I  see  him.  Fish  bery  good 
when  dere's  noting  else  to  eat,  but  Jake  never  want 
to  see  him  again.  He  hab  eat  quite  enough  for  de 
rest  ob  his  life." 

Cameron,  who  was  not  accustomed  to  the  use  of 
the  paddle,  sat  in  the  stern  with  the  two  girls ;  but 
the  others  were  all  used  to  the  exercise,  and  the 
boat  literally  bounded  along  at  each  stroke  from 
the  sinewy  arms,  and  by  nightfall  they  had  reached 
the  opposite  shore.  After  some  hours'  work  to- 
gether two  of  them  had  rested,  and  from  that  time 
they  took  it  by  turns,  six  paddles  being  kept  con- 
stantly going. 

Without  any  adventure  they  arrived  safely  at  the 
end  of  the  lake.  The  clearing  where  Nelly  had 
lived  so  long  and  where  her  father  and  mother  had 
been  killed  was  passed  in  the  night,  much  to  Harold's 
satisfaction,  as  he  was  afraid  that  she  would  have 
been  terribly  upset  at  the  many  sad  memories  which 
the  sight  of  the  place  could  not  but  call  up.  On 
their  way  down  they  had  seen  many  gaps  in  the 
forest  caused  by  the  gale,  but  it  was  not  until  they 
reached  the  landing-place  that  the  full  effect  of  its 
destructive  force  was  visible.  Several  scows  and 
other  boats  lay  wrecks  upon  the  shore,  every  house 
in  the  little  village  was  leveled  to  the  ground,  the 
orchards  were  ruined,  palings  and  fences  torn  down, 
and  the  whole  place  strewn  with  fragments. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  359 

A  few  people  were  moving  among  the  ruins. 
They  gazed  with  a  dull  apathy  upon  the  new-com- 
ers, apparently  dazed  by  the  misfortune  that  had 
befallen  them.  Harold  learned  on  questioning 
them  that  twenty-seven  persons  had  been  killed  and 
the  majority  of  the  survivors  more  or  less  seriously 
injured.  With  the  exception  of  the  few  whom  they 
saw,  about  all  the  survivors  had  been  taken  off  to 
the  town  in  boats  down  the  river  or  in  wagons 
lent  by  neighbors  whose  villages,  sheltered  in  the 
woods,  had  escaped  the  ravages  of  the  gale.  After 
a  few  hours'  halt,  having  obtained  meat  and  other 
stores,  they  proceeded  on  their  way  to  Detroit. 

Here  Nelly  had  several  friends,  who  had  long  be- 
lieved her  to  have  fallen  at  the  massacre  at  the 
farm.  By  them  she  was  gladly  received,  and  she 
took  up  her  abode  in  a  family  with  some  daughters 
of  her  own  age.  Harold  found  that  there  was  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  in  the  bank  in  her  fa- 
ther's name,  and  from  this,  after  a  consultation  with 
her,  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  provide  the  Seneca 
and  his  followers  with  blankets,  powder,  and  In- 
dian finery  for  years  was  drawn  and  bestowed 
upon  them. 

A  day  or  two  afterward  the  Indians  left  for  their 
own  country,  highly  gratified  with  the  success  of 
the  expedition  and  proud  of  the  numerous  scalps 
which  hung  from  each  of  their  girdles. 

Harold  learned  that  there  was  but  little  fighting 
going  on  along  the  Canadian  frontier.  The  winter 
had  set  in  again  with  extreme  severity;  the  St 


360  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Lawrence  would  be  frozen  and  he  would  have  no 
means  of  leaving  Canada ;  he  was  therefore  well 
content  to  settle  down  until  the  spring  at  Detroit, 
where  he  received  numerous  and  hearty  invitations 
to  stay  for  any  time  from  the  various  friends  of  his 
cousins.  Jake,  of  course  remained  with  him.  Peter 
went  up  to  Montreal,  where  he  had  some  relations 
residing,  Harold  promising  to  call  for  him  on  his 
way  east  in  the  spring.  Pearson,  after  a  few  days' 
stay  in  Detroit,  started  again  with  a  comrade  on  a 
hunting  expedition.  Cameron  and  his  daughter 
also  spent  the  winter  at  Detroit. 

The  months  passed  very  pleasantly  to  Harold. 
Since  the  war  began  he  had  had  no  period  of  rest 
or  quiet,  and  he  now  entered  with  zest  into  the 
various  amusements,  sleighing  and  dancing,  which 
helped  to  while  away  the  long  winter  in  America. 
He  also  joined  in  many  hunting  parties,  for  in  those 
days  game  abounded  up  to  the  very  edge  of  the 
clearings.  Moose  were  abundant,  and  the  hunt 
of  these  grand  deer  was  full  of  excitement.  Ex- 
cept when  the  snow  is  on  the  ground  these  animals 
can  defy  their  pursuers,  but  the  latter  with  their 
snow-shoes  go  lightly  over  the  frozen  snow,  in  which 
the  moose  sink  heavily. 

There  were  many  discussions  as  to  the  future 
of  Nelly.  Several  of  her  friends  would  gladly 
have  adopted  her  as  a  member  of  their  family,  but 
Harold  warmly  urged  that  she  should  go  to  England 
and  take  up  her  abode  with  his  mother,  who  was 
her  nearest  relative,  and  Nelly,  somewhat  to  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  $61 

surprise  of  her  friends,  finally  agreed  to  this  pro- 
posal. A  purchaser  was  readily  found  for  the 
farm,  which  was  an  excellent  one,  and  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  with  the  amount  of  savings  in  the  bank 
gave  her  a  little  fortune  of  some  £2,500. 

When  the  spring  came  and  the  navigation  of  the 
lake  was  open,  Harold,  Nelly,  the  Camerons,  and 
Jake  started  in  a  ship  for  Montreal.  There  they 
were  joined  by  Peter  and  sailed  down  to  Quebec, 
where  Nelly  and  the  Camerons  took  passage  for 
England.  Very  deep  was  the  gratitude  which 
Donald  expressed  to  the  friends  who  had  restored 
his  daughter  to  him.  He  had  had  enough  of  the 
colonies  and  intended  to  spend  the  rest  of  his  life 
among  his  own  people  in  Scotland.  Harold,  Peter, 
and  Jake  sailed  to  join  the  English  army  in  the 
south. 


362  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    SIEGE   OF   SAVANNAH. 

AFTER  the  surrender  of  General  Burgoyne  at 
Saratoga  the  English  Parliament  made  another 
effort  to  obtain  peace,  and  passed  an  act  renouncing 
all  rights  to  tax  the  colonists  and  yielding  every 
point  as  to  which  they  had  been  in  dispute.  Com- 
missioners were  sent  over  with  full  authority  to 
treat,  and  had  the  colonists  been  ready  nominally  to 
submit  to  England,  a  virtual  independence,  similar 
to  that  possessed  by  Canada  and  the  Australian 
colonies  at  the  present  time,  would  have  been 
granted.  As  a  very  large  body  of  the  Americans 
had  from  the  first  been  desirous  of  coming  to  terms 
and  as  the  paralyzed  state  of  trade  caused  great  and 
general  distress,  it  is  probable  that  these  terms 
might  have  been  accepted  had  it  not  been  for  the 
intervention  of  France.  That  power  had  all  along 
encouraged  the  rebellion.  She  had  smarted  under 
the  loss  of  Canada,  and  although  her  rule  in  her  own 
colonies  was  far  more  arbitrary  than  that  of  Eng- 
land in  America,  she  was  glad  to  assist  in  any 
movement  which  could  operate  to  the  disadvantage 
of  this  country.  Hitherto,  nominally  she  had  re- 
mained neutral,  but  now,  fearing  that  the  offers 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  363 

of  the  English  would  induce  the  colonists  to  make 
peace,  she  came  forward,  recognized  their  independ- 
ence, and  engaged  herself  to  furnish  a  large  fleet 
for  their  assistance. 

The  colonists  joyfully  accepted  the  offer,  seeing 
that  the  intervention  of  France  in  the  struggle 
would  completely  alter  its  conditions.  Heretofore 
the  British  had  been  enabled  to  send  over  men  and 
stores  at  will,  but  were  they  blockaded  by  a  French 
fleet  their  difficulties  would  be  immensely  increased. 

As  there  had  been  no  cause  of  quarrel  between 
England  and  France,  this  agreement  was  an  act  of 
wanton  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  latter.  On  ob- 
taining information  of  the  signature  of  the  treaty 
between  France  and  the  colonies,  the  English  am- 
bassador was  recalled  from  Paris  and  both  countries 
prepared  vigorously  for  war. 

The  first  result  was  that  the  English  deemed  it 
prudent  to  evacuate  Philadelphia  and  retreat  to 
New  York.  Washington  endeavored  to  cut  off  their 
retreat,  and  a  battle  took  place  at  Freehold  Court- 
House,  in  which  the  Americans  were  worsted. 
Washington  drew  off  his  army  and  the  British  army 
continued  its  march  to  New  York  without  further 
opposition.  Early  in  May  the  French  sent  off  a 
fleet  of  twelve  ships  of  the  line  and  six  frigates 
carrying  a  large  number  of  troops  commanded  b}' 
Count  D'Estaing.  An  English  fleet,  under  Admiral 
Byron,  was  lying  at  Portsmouth,  and  this  sailed  on 
June  9  in  pursuit ;  for  it  was  not  until  that  time 
that  information  was  received  of  the  intended  des- 
tination of  the  French  fleet* 


364  TRUR  TO  THK  OLD  FLAG. 

D'Estaing  reached  the  American  coast  upon  the 
very  day  on  which  the  English  army  re&ntered  New 
York,  and  after  making  a  demonstration  before  that 
town  the  French  fleet  sailed  for  Ehode  Island  to 
expel  the  British  troops,  under  Sir  Robert  Pigott, 
who  held  it. 

Lord  Howe  sailed  with  the  fleet  from  New  York 
to  give  battle  to  that  of  D'Estaing.  For  two  days 
the  fleets  maneuvered  in  sight  of  each  other.  Howe, 
being  inferior  in  force,  wished  to  gain  the  weather- 
gauge  before  fighting.  Failing  to  do  this  on  the 
third  day  he  offered  battle,  but  a  tremendous  storm 
prevented  the  engagement  and  dispersed  both  fleets. 
The  French  vessels  retired  to  Boston  and  the 
English  to  New  York. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  departure  of  the  French 
fleet,  Sir  Robert  Pigott  attacked  the  American  force, 
which  had  crossed  to  Rhode  Island  to  act  with  the 
French,  and  drove  them  from  it.  While  crossing 
the  Atlantic  the  fleet  under  Admiral  Byron  had  met 
with  a  tremendous  storm,  which  had  entirely  dis- 
persed it,  and  the  vessels  arrived  singly  at  New 
York.  When  their  repairs  were  completed  the 
whole  set  out  to  give  battle  to  the  French,  but 
D'Estaing,  finding  that  by  the  junction  of  the  two 
English  fleets  he  was  now  menaced  by  a  superior 
force,  sailed  away  to  the  West  Indies. 

After  his  departure  an  expedition  was  sent  down 
along  the  coast  to  Georgia  and  East  Florida.  This 
met  with  great  success.  Savannah  was  captured 
and  the  greater  part  of  South  Carolina  was  oc- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


365 


TR  UK  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

cupied.  The  majority  of  the  inhabitants  joyfully 
welcomed  the  troops  and  many  companies  of  volun 
teers  were  raised. 

Harold  had  arrived  in  New  York  early  in  tha 
spring.  He  had  been  offered  a  commission,  but  he 
preferred  remaining  with  his  two  comrades  in  the 
position  of  scout.  In  this  way  he  had  far  greater 
independence,  and  while  enjoying  pay  and  rations 
sufficient  for  his  maintenance,  he  was  to  a  great  ex- 
tent master  of  his  own  movements.  At  an  earlier 
period  of  the  war  he  was  offered  by  General  Howe 
a  commission  in  the  army,  and  his  father  would  have 
been  glad  had  he  accepted  it.  Harold,  however, 
although  determined  to  fight  until  the  struggle  be- 
tween the  colonists  and  the  mother  country  came  to 
an  end  one  way  or  the  other,  had  no  great  liking 
for  the  life  of  an  officer  in  the  regular  army,  but 
had  resolved  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war  to  settle 
down  upon  a  farm  on  the  lakes — a  life  for  which  he 
felt  far  more  fitted  than  for  the  strict  discipline  and 
regularity  of  that  of  an  officer  in  the  army. 

As,  with  the  exception  of  the  attack  by  the 
French  fleet  and  American  army  upon  Ehode 
'  Island,  both  parties  remained  quiet  all  through  the 
summer  of  1778,  the  year  passed  uneventfully  to 
him,  and  the  duties  of  the  scouts  were  little  more 
than  nominal.  During  the  winter  fighting  went  on 
in  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia  with  varied  success. 

In  the  spring  of  1779  Harold  and  his  comrades 
were,  with  a  party  of  scouts,  sent  down  to  Georgia, 
where  constant  skirmishes  were  going  on  and  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  367 

services  of  a  body  of  men  accustomed  to  outpost 
duty  were  required.  They  were  landed  in  May 
and  joined  General  Prevost's  force  on  the  island  of 
St.  John,  situated  close  to  the  mainland  and  con- 
nected with  it  by  a  bridge  of  boats,  at  the  end  of 
which  on  the  mainland  a  post  had  been  erected. 
Shortly  afterward  General  Prevost  left  for  Savan- 
nah, taking  with  him  most  of  the  troops,  which 
were  carried  away  in  the  sloops  which  had  formed 
the  bridge  of  boats.  On  the  American  side  General 
Lincoln  commanded  a  considerable  army,  which 
had  been  dispatched  by  Congress  to  drive  the  Eng- 
lish from  that  State  and  the  Carolinas. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Maitland,  who  commanded 
the  post  on  the  mainland,  was  left  with  only  a  flat- 
boat  to  keep  up  his  communication  with  the  island. 
He  had  under  his  command  the  first  battalion  of  the 
Seventy-first  Highlanders,  now  much  weakened 
in  numbers,  part  of  a  Hessian  regiment,  some  pro- 
vincial volunteers,  and  a  detachment  of  artillery, 
the  whole  not  exceeding  five  hundred  effective 
men.  Hearing  that  General  Lincoln  was  advancing 
against  him,  Colonel  Maitland  sent  all  his  sick, 
baggage,  and  horses  across  to  the  island  and  placed 
the  post  as  far  as  possible  in  a  defensive  position. 
Most  of  the  scouts  who  had  come  down  from  New 
York  had  accompanied  General  Prevost  to  Savan- 
nah, but  Harold,  with  Peter  Lambton,  Jake,  and 
three  or  four  others,  had  been  ordered  to  remain 
with  Colonel  Maitland,  and  were  sent  out  to  recon- 
noiter,  when  the  enemy  were  known  to  be  ap- 
proaching. 


368  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"This  is  something  like  our  old  work,  Peter, 
upon  Lake  Charaplain,"  Harold  said  as  with  his  two 
comrades  he  took  his  way  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  enemy  were  advancing. 

"  Ay,  lad,  but  they've  none  of  the  redskins  with 
'em,  and  there'll  be  no  great  difficulty  in  finding  out 
all  about  'em.  Besides,  we've  got  Jake  with  us, 
and  jest  about  here  Jake  can  do  better  nor  we  can. 
Niggers  swarm  all  over  the  country  and  are  as 
ready  to  work  for  one  side  as  th  e  other,  jest  as 
their  masters  go.  All  Jake  has  got  to  do  is  to  dress 
himself  as  a  plantation  nigger  and  stroll  into  their 
camp.  No  question  will  be  asked  him,  as  he  will 
naturally  be  taken  for  a  slave  on  some  neighboring 
estate.  What  do  you  say,  Jake  ?" 

Jake  at  once  assented,  and  when  they  approached 
the  enemy  he  left  his  comrades  and  carried  their 
plan  into  execution.  He  was  away  six  hours,  and 
returned  saying  that  the  enemy  were  five  thousand 
strong,  with  eight  pieces  of  artillery. 

"  We  must  hurry  back,"  Peter  said.  "  Them  are 
big  odds  agin'  us.  Ef  all  our  troops  was  regulars,  I 
don't  say  as  they  might  not  hold  the  place  ;  but  I 
don't  put  much  count  on  the  Germans,  and  the  colo- 
nists ain't  seen  no  fighting.  However,  Colonel 
Maitland  seems  a  first-rate  officer.  He  has  been 
real  sharp  in  putting  the  place  into  a  state  of  de- 
fense, and  I  reckon  ef  the  Yankees  thinks  as  they're 
going  to  eat  us  up  without  trouble  they'll  be  mis- 
taken." 

Jake  reported  that  the  enemy  were  on  the  point 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  369 

of  marching  forward,  and  the  scouts  hurried  back 
to  give  Colonel  Maitland  news  of  their  coming. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  reached 
the  post. 

"  At  what  time  do  you  think  they  will  arrive 
here  ?"  the  colonel  asked  when  Jake  had  made  his 
report. 

"  Dey  be  pretty  close  by  dark,  for  sure,"  Jake 
replied. 

"  But  I  don't  think,  sir,"  Peter  added,  « they'll 
attack  before  morning.  They  wouldn't  be  likely  to 
try  it  in  the  dark,  not  knowing  the  nature  of  the 
place. 

The  commander  was  of  the  same  opinion,  but  to 
prevent  the  possibility  of  surprise  he  placed  pickets 
at  some  distance  round  the  fort,  the  scouts  being,  of 
course,  of  the  party. 

The  night  passed  quietly,  but  at  seven  in  the 
morning  Peter,  Harold,  and  Jake,  who  were  at 
some  distance  in  advance  of  the  others,  saw  the 
enemy  approaching.  They  fired  their  pieces  and 
fell  back  upon  the  outposts.  Their  position  was 
rather  to  the  right  of  the  line  of  defense.  The 
pickets  were  about  to  fall  back,  when  seventy  men, 
being  two  companies  of  the  Seventy-first  under 
Captain  Campbell,  were  sent  out  to  feel  the  enemy. 

"  We're  going  to  have  a  skirmish,"  Peter  said.  "  I 
know  these  Highlanders.  Instead  of  jest  firing  a 
bit  and  then  falling  back,  they'll  be  sticking  here 
and  fighting  as  if  they  thought  they  could  lick  the 
hull  army  of  the  Yankees." 


370  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

It  was  as  Peter  predicted.  The  Highlanders  took 
post  behind  a  hedge  and  maintained  a  desperate  re- 
sistance to  the  advance  of  the  enemy.  Harold  and 
his  comrades  for  some  time  fought  with  them. 

"  It's  time  for  us  to  be  out  of  this,"  Peter  said 
presently.  "  Let's  jest  get  back  to  the  fort." 

"  We  cannot  fall  back  till  they  do,  Peter." 

"  I  don't  see  that,"  Peter  said.  "  We're  scoutt, 
and  I  don't  see  no  advantage  in  our  chucking  away 
our  lives  because  these  hot-headed  Highlanders 
choose  to  do  so.  Peter  Lambton's  ready  to  do  a 
fair  share  of  fighting,  but  when  he's  sure  that  fight- 
ing ain't  no  good,  then  he  goes." 

And  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Peter  rose 
from  his  recumbent  position  and  began  to  make  his 
way  back  to  the  camp,  taking  advantage  of  every 
bit  of  cover. 

Harold  could  not  help  laughing.  For  an  instant 
he  remained  irresolute,  and  then,  seeing  the  over- 
whelming forces  with  which  the  enemy  were  ap- 
proaching, he  called  to  Jake  and  followed  Peter's 
example.  So  obstinately  did  the  Highlanders  fight 
that  they  did  not  retreat  until  all  their  officers  were 
killed  or  wounded,  and  only  eleven  men  out  of  the 
two  companies  succeeded  in  regaining  the  camp. 

The  whole  force  of  the  enemy  now  advanced 
against  the  works,  and  halting  at  a  distance  of  three 
hundred  yards  opened  a  tremendous  fire  from  their 
cannon  on  the  intrenchments.  The  defenders  re- 
plied, but  so  overwhelming  was  the  force  of  the 
assailants  that  the  Hessians  abandoned  the  portion 
of  the  works  committed  to  them  and  fell  back. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  371 

The  enemy  pressed  forward  and  had  already 
gained  the  foot  of  the  abattis,  when  Colonel  Mait- 
land  brought  up  a  portion  of  the  Seventy -first  upon 
the  right,  and  these  gallant  troops  drove  the  Amer- 
icans back  with  slaughter.  Colonel  Maitland  and 
his  officers  then  threw  themselves  among  the  Hes- 
sians and  succeeded  in  rallying  them  and  bringing 
them  back  to  the  front.  The  provincial  volunteers 
had  also  fought  with  great  bravery.  They  had  for 
a  time  been  pressed  backward,  but  finally  main- 
tained their  position. 

The  Americans,  finding  that  all  their  efforts  to 
carry  the  post  were  unavailing,  fell  back  to  the  for- 
est. On  the  English  side  the  loss  amounted  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty-nine.  The  Americans  fought 
in  the  open  and  suffered  much  more  heavily. 

The  position  of  matters  was  suddenly  changed  by 
the  arrival  of  Count  D'Estaing  with  a  fleet  of  forty- 
one  ships  of-war  off  the  coast.  The  American  gen- 
eral, Lincoln,  at  once  proposed  to  him  to  undertake 
a  combined  movement  to  force  the  English  to  quit 
Georgia.  The  arrival  of  the  French  fleet  was  wholly 
unexpected,  and  the  Experiment,  a  frigate  of  fifty 
guns,  commanded  by  Sir  James  "Wallace,  having 
two  or  three  ships  under  his  convoy,  fell  in  with 
them  off  the  mouth  of  the  Savannah  River.  Al 
though  the  Experiment  had  been  much  crippled  by 
a  gale  through  which  she  had  recently  passed,  Sir 
James  Wallace  would  not  haul  down  his  flag  and 
opposed  a  desperate  resistance  to  the  whole  of  the 
French  fleet,  and  did  not  surrender  until  the  Expe- 


3?2  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

ricaent  was  completely  dismasted  and  riddled  with 
shot. 

Upon  the  news  that  the  French  fleet  was  off  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  Captain  Henry,  who  command- 
ed the  little  squadron  of  four  small  English  ships, 
fell  back  to  Savannah  after  removing  all  the  buoys 
from  the  river.  He  landed  his  guns  from  the  ships 
and  mounted  them  on  the  batteries,  and  the  marines 
and  blue-jackets  were  also  put  on  shore  to  assist  in 
the  defense.  Two  of  the  brigs-of-war  were  sunk 
across  the  channel  below  the  town  to  prevent  the 
French  frigates  coming  up.  A  boom  was  laid  across 
above  the  town  to  prevent  fire-rafts  from  being 
sent  down. 

D'Estaing  landed  the  French  troops  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  and  marching  to  the  town  summoned 
General  Prevost  to  surrender.  The  English  com- 
mander, who  had  sent  off  a  messenger  to  Colonel 
Maitland  ordering  him  to  march  instantly  to  his  as- 
sistance with  the  force  under  him,  which  now 
amounted  to  eight  hundred  men,  asked  for  twenty- 
four  hours  before  giving  an  answer.  D'Estaing, 
who  knew  that  General  Lincoln  was  close  at  hand, 
made  sure  that  Prevost  would  surrender  without 
resistance,  and  so  granted  the  time  asked  for.  Be- 
fore  its  expiration  Colonel  Maitland,  after  a  tremen- 
dous march,  arrived  at  the  town.  As  the  French 
commanded  the  mouth  of  the  river  he  had  been 
obliged  to  transport  his  troops  in  boats  through  the 
marshes  by  a  little  creek,  which  for  two  miles  was 
so  shallow  that  the  troops  were  forced  to  wade 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  373 

waist-deep,  dragging  the  boats  by  main  force  through 
the  mud. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  this  reenforcement  General 
Prevost  returned  an  answer  to  Count  D'Estaing 
that  the  town  would  be  defended  to  the  last.  Some 
time  was  spent  by  the  enemy  in  landing  and  bring- 
ing up  the  heavy  artillery  from  the  ships,  and  the 
French  and  Americans  did  not  begin  their  works 
against  the  town  until  September  23.  The  garrison 
had  utilized  the  time  thus  afforded  to  them  to  erect 
new  defenses.  The  allied  force  of  the  assailants 
consisted  of  more  than  ten  thousand  Americans  and 
five  thousand  French  troops,  while  the  garrison,  in- 
cluding regulars,  provincial  corps,  sailors,  militia, 
and  volunteers,  did  not  exceed  twenty-five  hundred. 

Nevertheless  they  did  not  allow  the  enemy  to 
carry  on  their  work  without  interruption.  Several 
sorties  were  made.  The  first  of  these,  under  Major 
Graham,  of  the  Sixteenth  Regiment,  reached  the 
lines  of  the  enemy  and  threw  them  into  confusion. 
Large  reinforcements  came  up  to  their  assistance, 
and  as  Graham's  detachment  fell  back  upon  the 
town,  the  enemy  incautiously  pursued  it  so  close  up 
to  the  British  lines  that  both  artillery  and  musketry 
were  brought  to  bear  upon  them,  and  they  lost  a 
large  number  of  men  before  they  could  regain  their 
works.  On  the  morning  of  October  4  the  batteries 
of  the  besiegers  opened  fire  with  fifty-three  pieces 
of  heavy  artillery  and  fourteen  mortars.  General 
Prevost  sent  in  a  request  to  Count  D'Estaing  that  the 
women  and  children  might  be  permitted  to  leave  the 


374  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

town  and  embark  on  board  vessels  lying  in  the  river, 
there  to  await  the  issue  of  the  fight ;  but  the  French 
commander  refused  the  request  in  a  letter  couched 
in  insulting  terms. 

The  position  of  Savannah  was  naturally  strong. 
The  river  protected  one  of  its  sides  and  a  deep 
swamp  partially  flooded  by  it  covered  another. 
The  other  two  were  open  to  the  country,  which  in 
front  of  them  was  for  several  miles  level  and  clear 
of  wood.  The  works  which  had  been  thrown  up  on 
these  sides  were  extremely  strong.  When  the 
French  first  landed  there  were  but  ten  pieces  of 
cannon  upon  the  fortifications,  but  so  incessantly 
did  the  garrison  work  that  before  the  conclusion  of 
the  siege  nearly  one  hundred  pieces  of  artillery  were 
mounted  on  the  redoubts  and  batteries  erected  round 
the  town.  Upon  the  side  of  the  swamp  there  was 
not  much  fear  of  attack,  but  three  redoubts  were 
erected  to  prevent  a  surprise  from  this  direction. 
The  defense  on  the  right  face  of  the  town  was  con- 
ducted by  Colonel  Maitland.  The  defense  on  the 
left,  consisting  of  two  strong  redoubts  and  several 
batteries,  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Cruger.  In  the  center  were  several  strong  works, 
of  which  General  Prevost  himself  took  the  special 
supervision.  The  whole  British  line,  except  where 
the  swamp  rendered  no  such  defense  necessary,  was 
surrounded  by  a  thick  abattis. 

The  French  fire  made  no  sensible  impression  upon 
the  English  defenses,  and  finding  that  the  British 
artillery  equaled  his  own,  D'Estaing  determined  to 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  375 

discontinue  the  attack  by  regular  approaches  and  to 
carry  the  place  by  storm.  His  position  was  a  peril- 
ous one.  He  had  already  spent  a  long  time  before 
the  place,  and  at  any  moment  the  English  fleet 
might  arrive  from  the  West  Indies  and  attack  his 
fleet,  which  was  weakened  by  the  men  and  guns 
which  had  been  lauded  to  carry  on  the  siege.  He 
therefore  determined  to  risk  an  assault  rather  than 
remain  longer  before  the  town.  To  facilitate  the 
attack  an  officer  with  five  men  on  October  8  ad- 
vanced to  the  abattis  and  set  fire  to  it.  The  wood, 
however,  was  still  green,  and  the  flames  were  easily 
extinguished. 

The  attack  was  fixed  for  the  following  morning. 
Bodies  of  the  American  militia  were  to  feign  at- 
tacks upon  the  center  and  left,  while  a  strong  force 
of  the  combined  armies  were  to  make  a  real  attack 
in  two  columns  upon  the  right.  The  troops  com- 
posing the  two  columns  consisted  of  thirty-five 
hundred  French  soldiers  and  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  Americans.  The  principal  force,  commanded 
by  Count  D'Estaing  in  person,  assisted  by  General 
Lincoln,  was  to  attack  the  Springfield  redoubt,  which 
was  situated  at  the  extreme  right  of  the  British 
central  line  of  defense  and  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
swamp.  The  other  column,  under  the  command  of 
Count  Dillon,  was  to  move  silently  along  the  mar« 
gin  of  the  swamp,  pass  the  three  redoubts,  and  get 
into  the  rear  of  the  British  lines. 

The  troops  were  in  motion  long  before  daylight. 
The  attempt  to  burn  the  abattis  had  excited  the 


376  THUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

suspicion  of  the  English  that  an  assault  might  be 
intended,  and  accordingly  pickets  were  thrown  out 
in  front  of  the  intrenchments  and  the  scouts  were 
ordered  to  keep  a  sharp  watch  among  the  trees 
which  grew  in  and  near  the  swamp. 

Harold  with  his  friends  had  accompanied  Colonel 
Maitland's  column  in  its  march  to  Savannah  and 
had  labored  vigorously  at  the  defenses,  being  espe- 
cially occupied  in  felling  trees  and  chopping  wood 
for  the  abattis.  Before  daybreak  they  heard  the 
noise  made  by  the  advance  of  the  enemy's  columns 
through  the  wood  and  hurried  back  to  the  Spring- 
field redoubt,  where  the  garrison  at  once  stood  to 
arms.  In  this  redoubt  were  a  corps  of  provincial 
dismounted  dragoons  supported  by  the  South  Caro- 
lina regiment. 

Just  as  daylight  appeared  the  column  led  by 
Count  D'Estaing  advanced  toward  the  Springfield 
redoubt,  but  the  darkness  was  still  so  intense  that  it 
was  not  discovered  until  within  a  very  short  distance 
of  the  works.  Then  a  blaze  of  musketry  opened 
upon  it,  while  a  destructive  cross-fire  was  poured  in 
from  the  adjoining  batteries.  So  heavy  was  the 
fire  that  the  head  of  the  column  was  almost  swept 
away.  The  assailants  kept  on  with  great  bravery 
until  they  reached  the  redoubt ;  here  a  desperate 
hand-to-hand  contest  took  place.  Captain  Tawse 
fell  with  many  of  his  men,  and  for  a  moment  a 
French  and  an  American  standard  were  planted 
upon  the  parapet ;  nevertheless  the  defenders  con- 
tinued to  cling  to  the  place  an<i  every  foot  was  des- 
perately contest^ 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG  377 

At  this  moment  Colonel  Maitland,  with  the 
grenadiers  of  the  Sixtieth  Kegiment  and  the  marines, 
advanced  and  fell  upon  the  enemy's  column,  al- 
ready shaken  by  the  obstinate  resistance  it  had  en- 
countered and  by  its  losses  by  the  fire  from  the 
batteries.  The  movement  was  decisive.  The  as- 
sailants were  driven  headlong  from  the  redoubt  and 
retreated,  leaving  behind  them  six  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  of  the  French  troops  killed  and  wound- 
ed and  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  of  the  Americans. 

In  the  mean  time  the  column  commanded  by 
Count  Dillon  mistook  its  way  in  the  darkness  and 
was  entangled  in  the  swamp,  from  which  it  was  un- 
able to  extricate  itself  until  it  was  broad  daylight 
and  it  was  fully  exposed  to  the  view  of  the  garrison 
and  to  the  fire  from  the  British  batteries.  This 
was  so  hot  and  so  well  directed  that  the  column 
was  never  able  even  to  form,  far  less  to  penetrate 
into  the  rear  of  the  British  lines. 

"When  the  main  attack  was  repulsed  Count  Dillon 
drew  off  his  column  also.  No  pursuit  was  ordered, 
as  although  the  besiegers  had  suffered  greatly,  they 
were  still  three  times  more  numerous  than  the 
garrison. 

A  few  days  afterward  the  French  withdrew  their 
artillery  and  reembarked  on  board  ship. 

The  siege  of  Savannah  cost  the  allies  fifteen 
hundred  men,  while  the  loss  of  the  garrison 
was  only  one  hundred  and  twenty.  The  pleasure 
of  the  garrison  at  their  successful  defense  was 
marred  by  the  death  of  Colonel  Maitland,  who  died 


378  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

from  the  effects  of  the  unhealthy  climate  and  of  the 
exertions  he  had  made. 

A  few  days  after  the  raising  of  the  siege  the 
French  fleet  was  dispersed  by  a  tempest,  and  Count 
D'Estaing,  with  the  majority  of  the  ships  under  his 
command,  returned  to  France. 

During  the  course  of  this  year  there  were  many 
skirmishes  round  New  York,  but  nothing  of  any 
great  importance  took  place.  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
who  was  in  supreme  command,  was  unable  to  under- 
take any  offensive  operations  on  a  large  scale,  for 
he  had  not  received  the  reinforcements  from  home 
which  he  had  expected.  England,  indeed,  had  her 
hands  full,  for  in  June  Spain  joined  France  and 
America  in  the  coalition  against  her  and  declared 
war.  Spain  was  at  that  time  a  formidable  marine 
power,  and  it  needed  all  the  efforts  that  could  be 
made  by  the  English  government  to  make  head 
against  the  powerful  fleets  which  the  combined 
nations  were  able  to  send  to  sea  against  them.  It  was 
not  only  in  Europe  that  the  Spaniards  were  able  to 
give  effective  aid  to  the  allies.  They  were  still  a 
power  on  the  American  continent,  and  created  a 
diversion,  invading  West  Florida  and  reducing  and 
capturing  the  town  and  fort  of  Mobile. 

In  the  spring  of  1780  Sir  Henry  Clinton  sent 
down  an  expedition  under  the  command  of  Lord 
Cornwallis  to  capture  Charleston  and  reduce  the 
State  of  South  Carolina.  This  town  was  extremely 
strongly  fortified.  It  could  only  be  approached  by 
land  on  one  side,  while  the  water,  which  elsewhere 


TRUE  TO  THE  O'LD  FLAG.  379 

defended  it,  was  covered  by  the  fire  of  numerous 
batteries  of  artillery.  The  water  of  the  bay  was 
too  shallow  to  admit  of  the  larger  men-of-war  pass- 
ing, and  the  passage  was  defended  by  Fort  Moul- 
trie,  a  very  formidable  work.  Admiral  Arbuthnot, 
with  the  Renown,  Romulus,  Roebuck,  Richmond, 
Blonde,  Raleigh,  and  Virginia  frigates,  with  a  favor- 
able wind  and  tide  ran  the  gantlet  of  Fort  Moultrie5 
succeeded  in  passing  up  without  great  loss,  and  co 
operated  on  the  sea  face  with  the  attack  of  the 
army  on  the  land  side. 

A  force  was  landed  on  Sullivan's  Island,  on  which 
Fort  Moultrie  stood,  and  the  fort,  unprepared  for  an 
attack  in  this  direction,  was  obliged  to  surrender. 
The  American  cavalry  force  which  had  been  col- 
lected for  the  relief  of  the  town  was  defeated  by  the 
English  under  General  Tarleton.  The  trenches 
were  pushed  forward  with  great  vigor  and  the  bat- 
teries of  the  third  parallel  opened  at  short  range  on 
the  town  with  great  execution.  The  advances  were 
pushed  forward  at  the  ditch,  when  the  garrison, 
seeing  that  further  resistance  was  impossible,  sur- 
rendered. Five  thousand  prisoners  were  taken,  one 
thousand  American  and  French  seamen,  and  ten 
French  and  American  ships-of-war. 

With  the  fall  of  Charleston  all  resistance  ceased 
in  South  Carolina.  The  vast  majority  of  the  inhab- 
itants made  their  submission  to  the  British  govern- 
ment and  several  loyalist  regiments  were  raised. 

Colonel  Tarleton,  with  one  hundred  and  seventy 
cavalry  and  one  hundred  mounted  infantry,  was  dis/ 


380  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

patched  against  an  American  force  under  Colonel 
Burford,  consisting  of  three  hundred  and  fifty 
infantry,  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  and  two  guns, 
which  had  taken  post  on  the  border  of  North  Caro- 
lina. Tarleton  came  up  with  him,  and  after  a  sharp 
action  the  Americans  were  entirely  defeated.  One 
hundred  and  thirteen  were  killed  on  the  spot  and 
two  hundred  and  seven  made  prisoners,  of  whom 
one  hundred  and  three  were  badly  wounded. 

For  some  months  the  irregular  operations  were 
continued,  the  Americans  making  frequent  incursions 
into  the  Carolinas.  The  British  troops  suffered 
greatly  from  the  extreme  heat  and  the  unhealthi- 
ness  of  the  climate. 

In  August  the  American  General  Gates  advanced 
toward  Camden,  and  Lord  Cornwallis  also  moved 
out  to  that  town,  which  was  held  by  a  British  gar- 
rison. The  position  there  was  not  hopeful.  Nearly 
eight  hundred  were  sick,  and  the  total  number  of 
effectives  was  under  two  thousand,  of  whom  five 
hundred  were  provincials.  The  force  under  General 
Gates  amounted  to  six  thousand  men,  exclusive  of 
the  corps  of  Colonel  Sumpter,  one  thousand  strong, 
which  were  maneuvering  to  cut  off  the  English  re. 
treat.  Cornwallis  could  not  fall  back  on  Charleston 
without  abandoning  the  sick  and  leaving  all  his 
magazines  and  stores  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  be- 
sides which  a  retreat  would  have  involved  the 
abandonment  of  the  whole  State  with  the  exception 
of  Charleston.  He  therefore  decided  upon  giving 
battle  to  the  enemy,  who  were  posted  at  Rugeley's 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  881 

Mills,  a  few  miles  distant,  leaving  the  aerense  of 
Caraden  to  Major  M'Arthur,  with  some  provincials 
and  convalescent  soldiers  and  a  detachment  of  the 
Sixty -third  Kegiment  which  was  expected  to  arrive 
during  the  night. 

The  army  marched  in  the  following  order :  The 
first  division,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Webster,  consisting  of  four  companies  of  light  in- 
fantry and  the  Twenty-third  and  Thirty-third  Regi- 
ments,  preceded  by  an  advanced  guard  of  forty 
cavalry.  The  second  division,  consisting  of  provin- 
cial troops  and  two  battalions  of  the  Seventy-first 
Kegiment,  followed  as  a  reserve.  The  dragoons  of 
the  legion  formed  the  rear-guard.  The  force 
marched  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  night  of  August  16, 
intending  to  attack  at  daybreak  the  next  morning, 
but  it  happened  that  at  the  very  same  hour  in  which 
the  British  set  out,  General  Gates  with  his  force 
were  starting  from  Eugeley's  Mills  with  the  inten- 
tion of  attacking  Camden  in  the  morning. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  night  the  advanced  guards 
of  the  two  armies  met  and  fired  into  each  other.  In 
the  confusion  some  prisoners  were  taken  on  both 
sides,  and  the  generals  finding  that  the  two  armies 
were  face  to  face  halted  and  waited  till  morning. 
Lord  Cornwallis  placed  Webster's  division  on  the 
right ;  the  second  division,  which  was  under  the 
command  of  Lord  Rawdon,  on  the  left;  the 
battalion  known  as  the  Yolunteers  of  Ireland 
were  on  the  right  of  Lord  Rawdon's  division  and 
communicated  with  the  Thirty-third  Regiment  on 


382  TRUE  TO  TUB  OLD  FLAG, 

the  left  of  "Webster.  In  the  front  line  were  two  six> 
pounders  and  two  three-pounders  under  the  command 
of  Lieutenant  Macleod,  K.A.  The  Seventy-first, 
with  two  six-pounders,  was  in  reserve,  one  battalion 
being  placed  behind  each  wing.  The  dragoons 
were  held  in  reserve  to  charge  in  the  event  of  a 
favorable  opportunity. 

The  flanks  of  the  English  position  were  covered 
by  swamps  which  somewhat  narrowed  the  ground 
and  prevented  the  Americans  from  utilizing  fully 
their  great  superiority  of  numbers.  The  Americans 
were  also  formed  in  two  lines. 

Soon  after  daybreak  Lord  Cornwallis  ordered 
Colonel  "Webster  to  advance  and  charge  the  enemy. 
So  fiercely  did  the  English  regiments  attack  that 
the  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  troops  who 
opposed  them  quickly  gave  way,  threw  down 
their  arms,  and  fled.  General  Gates  and  General 
Casswell  in  vain  attempted  to  rally  them.  They 
ran  like  a  torrent  and  spread  through  the  woods  in 
every  direction.  Lord  Rawdon  began  the  action  on 
the  left  with  no  less  vigor  and  spirit  than  Lord 
Cornwallis  on  the  right,  but  here  and  in  the  center 
the  contest  was  more  obstinately  maintained  by  the 
Americans.  Their  reserves  were  brought  up  and 
the  artillery  did  considerable  execution.  Their  left 
flank  was,  however,  exposed  by  the  flight  of  the 
troops  of  Carolina  and  Virginia,  and  the  light  in- 
fantry and  Twenty-third  Regiments  were  halted  ha 
the  pursuit,  and  wheeling  round  came  upon  the 
flank  of  the  enemy,  who  after  a  brave  resistance  of 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 


383 


nearly  three-quarters  of  an  hour  were  driven  into 
total  confusion  and  forced  to  give  way  on  both 
sides.  Their  rout  was  completed  by  the  cavalry, 


PLAN 

OF  THE  BATTLE 
A  "Fought  near  CAM  DEN 
August  I0,tb 
1780. 


who  continued  their  pursuit  twenty-two  miles  from 
the  field  of  action. 
Between  eight  and  nine  hundred  of  the  enemy 


384  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

were  killed  and  about  one  thousand,  many  of  whom 
were  wounded,  were  taken  prisoners.  Among  these 
were  Major-General  Baron  de  Kalb  and  Brigadier- 
General  Rutherford.  All  the  baggage,  stores,  and 
camp  packages,  a  number  of  colors,  and  several 
pieces  of  cannon  were  taken.  General  Gates,  find- 
ing himself  unable  to  rally  the  militia,  fled  first  to 
Charlotte,  ninety  miles  from  the  seat  of  action,  and 
then  to  Hillsborough,  one  hundred  and  eighty  from 
Camden.  General  Gist  alone  of  all  the  American 
commanders  was  able  to  keep  together  about  one 
hundred  men,  who,  flying  across  the  swamp  on 
their  right,  through  which  they  could  not  be  pur- 
sued by  the  cavalry,  made  their  escape  in  a  body. 
The  loss  of  the  British  troops  amounted  to  sixty- 
nine  killed,  two  hundred  and  forty-five  wounded, 
and  eleven  missing.  The  loss  of  the  Americans  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners  exceeded  the  number 
of  British  regular  troops  engaged  by  at  least  three 
hundred.  It  was  one  of  the  most  decisive  victories 
ever  won. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLA&.  385 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

IN    AN   AMERICAN    PRISON. 

UPON  the  morning  after  the  victory  of  Camden 
Lord  Cornwallis  dispatched  Colonel  Tarleton 
with  the  light  infantry  and  the  German  legion, 
three  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  all,  to  attack  Colonel 
Sumpter,  who  with  eight  hundred  men  and  two 
pieces  of  cannon  had,  upon  hearing  late  at  night  of 
General  Gates'  defeat,  marched  away  at  all  speed. 
Thinking  himself  out  of  danger  he  halted  at  mid- 
day to  rest  his  men.  The  British  came  upon  them 
by  surprise.  One  hundred  and  fifty  were  killed  or 
wounded  and  three  hundred  made  prisoners.  The 
rest  scattered  as  fugitives.  Two  guns,  one  thousand 
stand  of  arms,  and  all  the  stores  and  baggage  were 
taken,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  some  of 
them  British  soldiers  and  the  rest  loyal  militiamen, 
whom  Sumpter  had  captured  near  Camden,  were 
released. 

Lord  Cornwallis,  after  obtaining  supplies  for  his 
troops  and  taking  steps  for  the  pacification  of  the 
State,  was  about  to  move  forward  into  North  Caro- 
lina, when  he  received  news  of  the  destruction  of  a 
column  under  Major  Fergusson.  This  officer,  with 
a  detachment  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  British 


386  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

regulars  and  eight  hundred  provincials,  was  attacked 
by  five  thousand  mounted  partisans,  most  of  them 
border  men  accustomed  to  forest  fighting.  Fergus- 
son  took  up  a  position  on  a  hill  called  King's 
Mountain.  This  from  its  height  would  have  been 
a  good  position  for  defense,  but  being  covered  with 
wood  it  offered  great  opportunities  for  the  assail- 
ants, who  dismounted  and  fought  behind  trees  in 
accordance  with  the  tactics  taught  them  in  Indian 
warfare.  Again  and  again  the  English  charged 
with  the  bayonet,  each  time  driving  their  assailants 
back,  but  these  instantly  recommenced  their  de- 
structive fire  from  their  shelter  behind  the  trees. 
In  little  over  an  hour  from  the  commencement  of 
the  fight  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  defenders 
were  killed  and  many  more  wounded.  Still  they 
repulsed  every  attack  until  their  commander  fell 
dead  ;  then  the  second  in  command,  judging  further 
resistance  in  vain,  surrendered. 

On  the  news  of  this  misfortune  Lord  Cornwallis 
fell  back,  as  the  western  frontiers  of  South  Caro- 
lina were  now  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  the 
band  which  had  defeated  Fergusson.  In  the  retreat 
the  army  suffered  terribly.  It  rained  for  several 
days  without  intermission.  The  soldiers  had  no 
tents  and  the  water  was  everywhere  over  their 
shoes.  The  continued  rains  filled  the  rivers  and 
creeks  prodigiously  and  rendered  the  roads  almost 
impassable.  The  climate  was  most  unhealthy,  and 
for  many  days  the  troops  were  without  rum.  Some- 
times the  army  had  beef  and  no  bread,  sometimes 


TH UE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  387 

bread  and  no  beef.  For  five  days  it  was  supported 
on  Indian  corn,  which  was  collected  in  the  fields, 
five  ears  being  served  out  as  a  daily  allowance  to 
each  two  soldiers.  They  had  to  cook  it  as  they 
could,  and  this  was  generally  done  by  parching  it 
over  the  fire.  One  of  the  officers  of  the  quarter- 
master's department  found  some  of  the  loyal  militia 
grating  their  corn.  This  was  done  by  breaking  up 
a  canteen  and  punching  holes  in  the  bottom  with 
their  bayonets,  thus  making  a  kind  of  rasp.  The 
idea  was  communicated  to  the  adjutant-general  and 
afterward  adopted  for  the  army. 

The  soldiers  supported  their  hardships  and  priva- 
tions cheerfully,  as  their  officers  were  no  better 
provided  than  themselves  and  the  fare  of  Lords 
Cornwallis  and  Rawdon  was  the  same  as  their 
own. 

The  toilsome  march  came  to  an  end  at  last,  and 
the  army  had  rest  after  its  labors.  The  only  other 
incident  of  importance  which  occurred  was  an 
action  between  a  force  under  Colonel  Tarleton  and 
one  of  considerably  superior  strength  under  General 
Sumpter  strongly  posted  on  a  commanding  position. 
The  British  attack  was  repulsed,  but  General  Sump- 
ter being  badly  wounded  was  carried  off  the  field 
during  the  night,  and  the  force  under  his  command 
at  once  dispersed. 

No  other  event  occurred,  and  the  army  passed  its 
time  in  winter  quarters  till  the  spring  of  1781. 
During  this  winter  the  enemies  of  Great  Britain 
were  reenforced  by  the  accession  of  the  Dutch.  Afc 


388  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

this  time  the  efforts  which  England  was  called  upon 
to  make  were  indeed  great.  In  Europe  France, 
Spain,  and  Holland  were  banded  against  her ;  in 
India  our  troops  were  waging  a  desperate  war  with 
Hyder  Ali ;  while  they  were  struggling  to  retain 
their  hold  on  their  American  colonies.  Here,  in- 
deed, the  operations  had  for  the  last  two  years  lan- 
guished. The  reinforcements  which  could  be 
spared  were  extremely  small,  and  although  the 
British  had  almost  uniformly  defeated  the  Ameri- 
cans in  every  action  in  which  there  was  any  ap- 
proach to  equality  between  the  forces  engaged,  they 
were  unable  to  do  more  than  hold  the  ground  on 
which  they  stood.  Victorious  as  they  might  be,  the 
country  beyond  the  reach  of  their  rifles  swarmed 
with  their  enemies,  and  it  became  increasingly 
clear  to  all  impartial  observers  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  an  army  which  in  all  did  not  amount  to 
more  than  twenty  thousand  men  to  conquer  a  con- 
tinent in  arms  against  them. 

Harold  was  not  present  at  the  later  events  of  the 
campaign  of  1780.  He  and  Jake  had  been  with  the 
column  of  Major  Fergusson.  Peter  Lambton  had 
not  accompanied  him,  having  received  a  bullet 
wound  in  the  leg  in  a  previous  skirmish,  which,  al- 
though not  serious,  had  compelled  him  to  lay  up  for 
a  time. 

"  Me  no  like  de  look  ob  dis  affair,  Massa  Harold," 
Jake  said  as  the  Americans  opened  fire  upon  the 
troops  gathered  at  the  top  of  King's  Mountain. 
*  Dese  chaps  no  fools ;  dey  all  backwoodsmen ;  dey 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  389 

know  how  to  fight  de  redskins ;  great  hunters  all 
ob  dero." 

"  Yes,"  Harold  agreed,  "  they  are  formidable  op- 
ponents, Jake.  I  do  not  like  the  look  of  things. 
These  men  are  all  accustomed  to  fighting  in  the 
woods,  while  our  men  have  no  idea  of  it.  Their 
rifles  are  infinitely  superior  to  these  army  muskets, 
and  every  man  of  them  can  hit  a  deer  behind  the 
shoulder  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards,  while  at  that  distance  most  of  our  men  would 
miss  a  haystack." 

The  scouts  and  a  few  of  the  provincials  who  had 
been  accustomed  to  forest  warfare  took  up  their 
position  behind  trees  and  fought  the  advancing 
enemy  in  their  own  way.  The  mass  of  the  defend- 
ers, however,  were  altogether  puzzled  by  the 
stealthy  approach  of  their  foes,  who  advanced  from 
tree  to  tree,  seldom  showing  as  much  as  a  limb  to 
the  fire  of  the  defenders  and  keeping  up  a  deadly 
fire  upon  the  crowd  of  soldiers. 

Had  there  been  time  for  Major  Fergusson,  before 
being  attacked,  to  have  felled  a  circle  of  trees  and 
made  a  breastwork  round  the  top  of  the  hill,  the 
result  might  have  been  different.  Again  and  again 
the  British  gallantly  charged  down  with  the  bayo- 
net, but  the  assailants  as  they  did  so  glided  away 
among  the  trees  after  firing  a  shot  or  two  into  the 
advancing  troops,  and  retreated  a  hundred  yards  or 
so,  only  to  recommence  their  advance  as  soon  as 
the  defenders  retired  again  to  their  position.  The 
loss  of  the  assailants  was  very  slight,  the  few  who 


890  TUUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

fell  being  for  the  most  part  killed  by  the  rifles  of 
the  scouts. 

"  It  am  no  use,  Massa  Harold,"  Jake  said.  "  Jest 
look  ho\v  dem  poor  fellows  am  being  shot  down. 
It's  all  up  wid  us  dis  time." 

When  upon  the  fall  of  Major  Fergusson  his  suc- 
cessor in  command  surrendered  the  post,  the  de- 
fenders were  disarmed.  The  Kentucky  men,  accus- 
tomed only  to  warfare  against  Indians,  had  no  idea 
of  the  usages  of  war  and  treated  the  prisoners  with 
great  brutality.  Ten  of  the  loyalist  volunteers  of 
Carolina  they  hung  at  once  upon  trees.  There  was 
some  discussion  as  to  the  disposal  of  the  rest.  The 
border  men  having  accomplished  their  object  were 
anxious  to  disperse  at  once  to  their  homes.  Some 
of  them  proposed  that  they  should  rid  themselves  of 
all  further  trouble  by  shooting  them  all.  This  was 
overruled  by  the  majority.  Presently  the  prisoners 
were  all  bound,  their  hands  being  tied  behind  them, 
and  a  hundred  of  the  border  men  surrounded  them 
and  ordered  them  to  march  across  the  country. 

Jake  and  several  other  negroes  who  were  among 
the  captives  were  separated  from  the  rest,  and  being 
put  up  at  auction  were  sold  as  slaves.  Jake  fell  to 
the  bid  of  a  tall  Kentuckian,  who  without  a  word 
fastened  a  rope  round  his  neck,  mounted  his  horse, 
and  started  for  his  home.  The  guards  conducted 
the  white  prisoners  to  "Woodville,  eighty  miles  from 
the  scene  of  the  fight.  This  distance  was  accom- 
plished in  two  days'  march.  Many  of  the  unfortu- 
nate men,  unable  to  support  the  fatigue,  fell  and 


TKUS  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  391 

were  shot  by  their  guards ;  the  rest  struggled  on, 
utterly  exhausted,  until  they  arrived  at  Woodville, 
where  they  were  handed  over  to  a  strong  force  of 
militia  gathered  there.  They  were  now  kindly 
treated,  and  by  more  easy  marches  were  taken  to 
Richmond,  in  Virginia,  where  they  were  shut  up  in 
prison.  Here  were  many  English  troops,  for  the 
Americans,  in  spite  of  the  terms  of  surrender,  had 
still  retained  as  prisoners  the  troops  of  General 
Burgoyne. 

Several  weeks  passed  without  incident.  The 
prisoners  were  strongly  guarded  and  were  placed  in 
a  building  originally  built  for  a  jail  and  surrounded 
by  a  very  high  wall.  Harold  often  discussed  with 
some  of  his  fellow-captives  the  possibility  of  escape. 
The  windows  were  all  strongly  barred,  and  even 
should  the  prisoners  break  through  these  they 
would  only  find  themselves  in  the  court-yard. 
There  would  then  be  a  wall  thirty  feet  high  to  sur- 
mount, and  at  the  corners  of  this  wall  the  Ameri- 
cans had  built  sentry-boxes,  in  each  of  which  two 
men  were  stationed  night  and  day.  Escape,  there- 
fore, seemed  next  to  impossible. 

The  sentries  guarding  the  prison  and  at  the  gates 
were  furnished  by  an  American  regiment  stationed 
at  Richmond.  The  wardens  in  the  prison  were  for 
the  most  part  negroes.  The  prisoners  were  con- 
fined at  night  in  separate  cells;  in  the  daytime  they 
were  allowed  in  parties  of  fifty  to  walk  for  two 
hours  in  the  court-yard.  There  were  several  large 
rooms  in  which  they  sat  and  took  their  meals,  two 


392  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

sentries  with  loaded  muskets  being  stationed  in 
each  room.  Thus  although  monotonous  there  was 
little  to  complain  of;  their  food,  if  coarse,  was 
plentiful,  and  the  prisoners  passed  the  time  in  talk, 
playing  cards,  and  in  such  games  as  their  ingenuity 
could  invent. 

One  day  when  two  of  the  negro  wardens  entered 
with  the  dinners  of  the  room  to  which  Harold  be- 
longed, the  latter  was  astounded  at  recognizing  in 
one  of  them  his  faithful  companion  Jake.  It  was 
with  difficulty  that  he  suppressed  an  exclamation  of 
gladness  and  surprise.  Jake  paid  no  attention  to 
him,  but  placed  the  great  tin  dish  heaped  up  with 
yams,  which  he  was  carrying,  upon  the  table,  and 
with  an  unmoved  face  left  the  room.  A  fortnight 
passed  without  a  word  being  exchanged  between 
them.  Several  times  each  day  Harold  saw  the 
negro,  but  the  guards  were  always  present,  and  al- 
though, when  he  had  his  back  to  the  latter,  Jake 
sometimes  indulged  in  a  momentary  grin  or  a  por- 
tentous wink,  no  further  communication  passed  be- 
tween them. 

One  night  at  the  end  of  that  time  Harold,  when 
on  the  point  of  going  to  sleep,  thought  he  heard  a 
noise  as  of  his  door  gently  opening.  It  was  per- 
fectly dark,  and  after  listening  for  a  moment  he 
laid  his  head  down  again,  thinking  that  he  had  been 
mistaken,  when  he  heard  close  to  the  bed  the  words 
in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Am  you  asleep,  Massa  Harold  ?" 

"  No,  Jake,"  he  exclaimed  directly.  "  Ah !  my 
good  fellow,  how  fe^ve  you  got  here  ?" 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  393 

"  Dat  were  a  bery  easy  affair,"  Jake  said.  "  Me 
tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  Have  you  shut  the  door  again,  Jake  ?  There  is 
a  sentry  coming  along  the  passage  every  five 
minutes." 

"  Me  shut  him,  massa,  but  dere  ain't  no  fastening 
on  dis  side,  so  Jake  will  sit  down  wid  him  back 
against  him." 

Harold  got  up  and  partly  dressed  himself  and 
then  sat  down  by  the  side  of  his  follower. 

"  No  need  to  whisper,"  Jake  said.  "  De  walls  and 
de  doors  bery  thick,  no  one  hear.  But  de  sentries 
on  de  walls  hear  if  we  talk  too  loud." 

The  windows  were  without  glass,  which  was  in 
those  days  an  expensive  article  in  America,  and  the 
mildness  of  the  climate  of  Virginia  rendered  glass  a 
luxury  rather  than  a  necessity.  Confident  that  even 
the  murmur  of  their  voices  would  not  be  overheard 
if  they  spoke  in  their  usual  way,  Jake  and  Harold 
were  enabled  to  converse  comfortably. 

"  "Well,  massa,"  Jake  said,  "  my  story  am  not  a 
long  one.  Dat  man  dat  bought  me  he  rode  in  two 
days  someting  like  one  hundred  miles.  It  wor  a 
lucky  ting  dat  Jake  had  tramp  on  his  feet  de  last 
four  years,  else  soon  enough  he  tumble  down,  and 
den  de  rope  round  him  neck  hang  him.  Jake  awful 
footsore  and  tired  when  he  git  to  de  end  ob  dat 
journey.  De  Kentucky  man  he  lib  in  a  clearing 
not  far  from  a  village.  He  had  two  oder  slaves ; 
dey  hoe  de  ground  and  work  for  him.  He  got 
grown-up  son,  who  look  after  dem  while  him  fader 


894  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

away  fighting.  Dey  not  afraid  ob  de  niggers  run- 
ning away,  because  dere  plenty  redskin  not  far 
away,  and  nigger  scalp  jest  as  good  as  white  man's. 
De  oder  way  dere  wor  plenty  ob  villages,  and  dey 
tink  nigger  git  caught  for  sure  if  he  try  to  run 
away.  Jake  make  up  his  mind  he  not  stop  dere 
bery  long.  De  Kentucldan  was  a  bery  big,  strong 
man,  but  not  so  strong  as  he  was  ten  years  ago,  and 
Jake  tink  he  more  dan  a  match  for  him.  Jake  pret- 
ty strong  himself,  massa." 

"  I  should  think  you  were,  Jake,"  Harold  said. 
"  There  are  not  many  men,  white  or  black,  who  can 
lift  as  great  a  weight  as  you  can." 

"For  a  week  Jake  work  bery  hard.  Dat  Ken- 
tuckian  hab  a  way  ob  always  carrying  his  rifle 
about  on  his  arm,  and  as  long  as  he  do  dat  dere  no 
chance  ob  a  fair  fight.  De  son  he  always  hab  a 
stick  and  he  mighty  free  wid  it.  He  hit  Jake 
seberal  times,  and  me  say  to  him  once,  '  Young 
man,  you  better  mind  what  you  do.'  Me  suppose 
dat  he  not  like  de  look  dat  I  gib  him.  He  speak  to 
his  fader,  and  he  curse  and  swear  awful,  and  stand 
wid  de  rifle  close  by  and  tell  dat  son  ob  his  to  larrup 
Jake.  Dat  he  do,  massa,  for  some  time.  Jake  not 
say  noting,  but  he  make  a  note  ob  de  affair  in  his 
mind.  De  bery  next  day  de  son  go  away  to  de 
village  to  buy  some  tings  he  want.  De  fader  he 
come  out  and  watch  me  at  work ;  he  curse  and 
swear  as  usual ;  he  call  me  lazy  hound  and  swear  he 
cut  de  flesh  from  my  back  ;  presently  he  come  quite 
close  and  shake  him  fist  in  Jake's  face.  Dat  was  a 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  395 

foolish  ting  to  do.  So  long  as  he  keep  bofe  him 
hands  on  de  gun  he  could  say  what  he  like  quite 
safe,  but  when  he  got  one  hand  up  lebel  wid  Jake's 
nose,  dat  different  ting  altogether.  Jake  throw  up 
his  hand  and  close  wid  him.  De  gun  tumble  down 
and  we  wrastle  and  fight.  He  strong  man  for  sure, 
but  Jake  jest  a  little  stronger.  We  roll  ober  and 
ober  on  de  ground  for  some  minutes ;  at  last  Jake 
git  de  upper  hand  and  seize  de  white  man  by  de 
t'roat,  and  he  pretty  quick  choke  him  life  out. 
Den  he  pick  up  de  gun  and  wait  for  de  son  ;  when 
he  come  back  he  put  a  bullet  t'rough  him.  Den  he 
go  to  de  hut  and  git  food  and  powder  and  ball  and 
start  into  de  woods.  De  oder  niggers  dey  take  no 
part  in  de  affair.  Dey  look  on  while  de  skirmish 
lasts,  but  not  interfere  one  way  or  oder.  When  it 
ober  me  ask  dem  if  dey  like  to  go  wid  me,  but  dey 
too  afraid  ob  de  redskins ;  so  Jake  start  by  himse'f. 
Me  hab  plenty  ob  practice  in  de  woods  and  no  fear 
ob  meeting  redskins,  except  when  dey  on  de  war- 
path. De  woods  stretch  a  bery  long  way  all  ober 
de  country,  and  Jake  trabel  in  dem  for  nigh  free 
weeks.  He  shoot  deer  and  manage  bery  well ;  see 
no  redskin  from  de  first  day  to  de  last ;  den  he 
come  out  into  de  open  country  again,  hundreds  ob 
miles  from  de  place  where  he  kill  dat  Kentuckian. 
He  leab  his  gun  behind  him  now  and  trabel  for  Kich- 
mond,  where  he  hear  dat  de  white  prisoners  was 
kept.  He  walk  all  night  and  at  day  sleep  in  de 
woods  or  de  plantations,  and  eat  de  ears  ob  corn. 
At  last  he  git  to  Richmond.  Den  he  gib  out  dat 


396  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAff. 

him  raassa  wanted  him  to  fight  OH  de  side  ob  de 
English  and  dat  he  run  away.  He  go  to  de  prison 
and  offer  to  work  dere.  Dey  tink  him  story  true, 
and  as  he  had  no  massa  to  claim  him  dey  say  he 
State  property,  and  work  widout  wages  like  de 
oder  niggers  here ;  dey  all  forfeited  slaves  whose 
massas  had  jined  de  English.  Dese  people  so  pore 
dey  can't  afford  to  pay  white  man,  so  dey  take  Jake 
as  warden,  and  by  good  luck  dey  put  him  in  to  carry 
de  dinner  to  de  bery  room  where  Massa  Harold 
was." 

"  And  have  you  the  keys  to  lock  us  up  ?" 
"  No,  massa,  de  niggers  only  cook  de  dinners  and 
sweep  de  prison  and  de  yard,  and  do  dat  kind  ob 
job ;  de  white  wardens — dere's  six  ob  dem — dey  hab 
de  keys." 

"  Then  how  did  you  manage  to  get  here,  Jake  ?" 
"  Dat  not  bery  easy  matter,  Massa  Harold.  Most 
ob  de  wardens  drink  like  fish ;  but  de  head  man, 
him  dat  keep  de  keys,  he  not  drink.  For  some  time 
Jake  not  see  him  way,  but  one  night  when  he  lock 
up  de  prisoners  he  take  Jake  round  wid  him,  and 
Jake  carried  de  big  bunch  ob  keys — one  key  to  each 
passage.  When  he  lock  up  de  doors  here  and  hand 
de  key  to  Jake  to  put  on  to  de  bunch  agin,  Jake 
pull  out  a  hair  ob  him  head  and  twist  it  round  de 
ward  ob  de  key  so  as  to  know  him  agin.  Dat  night 
me  git  a  piece  ob  bread  and  work  him  up  wid  some 
oil  till  he  quite  like  putty,  den  me  steal  to  de  chief 
warden's  room,  and  dere  de  keys  hang  up  close  to 
him  bed.  Jake  got  no  shoes  on  and  he  stole  up 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG  39? 

bery  silent.  He  take  down  de  bunch  ob  keys  and 
carry  dem  off.  He  git  to  quiet  place  and  strike  a 
light,  and  search  t'rough  de  keys  till  he  find  de  one 
wid  de  hair  round  it ;  den  he  take  a  deep  impres- 
sion ob  him  wid  de  bread ;  den  he  carry  back  de 
keys  and  hang  'em  up.  Jake  not  allowed  to  leabe 
de  prison.  We  jest  as  much  prisoners  as  de  white 
men,  so  he  not  able  to  go  out  to  git  a  key  made ; 
but  in  de  store-room  dere's  all  sorts  ob  tools,  and  he 
git  hold  ob  a  fine  file ;  den  he  look  about  among  de 
keys  in  de  doors  ob  all  de  store-rooms  and  places 
which  wor  not  kept  locked  up.  At  last  he  find  a 
key  jest  de  right  size,  and  dough  de  wards  were  a 
little  different  dey  was  ob  de  right  shape.  Jake  set 
to  work  and  filed  off  all  de  knobs  and  p'ints  which 
didn't  agree  wid  de  shape  in  de  bread.  Dis  morn- 
ing when  you  was  all  out  in  de  yard  me  come  up 
quietly  and  tried  de  key  and  found  dat  it  turned  de 
lock  quite  easy.  "Wid  a  fedder  and  some  oil  me  oil 
de  lock  and  de  key  till  it  turned  widout  making  de 
least  noise.  Den  to-night  me  waited  till  de  sentry 
come  along  de  corridor,  and  den  Jake  slip  along  and 
here  he  is." 

"  Capital,  Jake !"  Harold  said.  "  And  now  what 
is  the  next  thing  to  do  ?  Will  it  be  possible  to  es- 
cape through  the  prison  ?" 

"  No,  Massa  Harold,  dere  am  t'ree  doors  from  de 
prison  into  de  yard  and  dere's  a  sentry  outside  ob 
each,  and  de  main  guard  ob  twent}T  men  are  down 
dere  too.  No  possible  to  git  out  ob  doors  widout 
de  alarm  being  given." 


398  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  With  the  file,  Jake,  we  might  cut  through  the 
bars." 

"  "We  might  cut  t'rough  de  bars  and  git  down 
into  de  court-yard  ;  dat  easy  enough,  massa.  Jake 
could  git  plenty  ob  rope  from  de  store-room,  but  we 
hab  de  oder  wall  to  climb." 

"  You  must  make  a  rope-ladder  for  that,  Jake." 

" "What  sort  ob  a  ladder  dat,  massa?" 

Harold  explained  to  him  how  it  should  be  made- 

"  When  you  have  finished  it,  Jake,  you  should 
twist  strips  of  any  sort  of  stuff,  cotton  or  woolen, 
round  and  round  each  of  the  wooden  steps,  so  that 
it  will  make  no  noise  touching  the  wall  as  we  climb 
it.  Then  we  want  a  grapnel." 

"  Me  no  able  to  make  dat,  massa." 

"Not  a  regular  grapnel,  Jake,  but  you  might 
manage  something  which  would  do." 

"  What  sort  ob  ting  ?"  Jake  asked. 

Harold  sat  for  some  time  in  thought. 

"  If  the  wall  were  not  so  high  it  would  be  easy 
enough,  Jake,  for  we  could  do  it  by  fastening  the 
rope  within  about  three  inches  of  the  end  of  a  pole 
six  feet  long  and  three  inches  thick.  That  would 
never  pull  over  the  wall,  but  it  is  too  high  to  throw 
the  pole  over." 

"  Jake  could  t'row  such  a  stick  as  dat  ober  easy 
enough,  massa — no  difficulty  about  dat ;  but  me  no 
see  how  a  stick  like  dat  balance  massa's  weight." 

"  It  would  not  balance  it,  Jake,  but  the  pull  would 
be  a  side  pull  and  would  not  bring  the  stick  over 
the  wall.  If  it  were  only  bamboo  it  would  be  heavy 
enough/* 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  399 

"  Bery  well,  Massa  Harold ;  if  you  say  so,  dat's 
all  right.  Jake  can  git  de  wood  easy  enough  ;  dere's 
plenty  ob  pieces  among  de  fire-wood  dat  would  do 
for  us." 

"  Koll  it  with  strips  of  stuff  the  same  way  as  the 
ladder  steps,  so  as  to  prevent  it  making  a  noise 
when  it  strikes  the  wall.  In  addition  to  the  ladder 
we  shall  want  a  length  of  rope  long  enough  to  go 
from  this  window  to  the  ground,  and  another  length 
of  thin  rope  more  than  twice  the  height  of  the 
wall." 

"  Bery  well,  Massa  Harold,  me  understand  ex- 
actly what's  wanted ;  but  it'll  take  two  or  t'ree 
days  to  make  de  ladder,  and  me  can  only  work  ob 
a  night." 

"  There  is  no  hurry,  Jake  ;  do  not  run  any  risk  of 
being  caught.  "We  must  choose  a  dark  and  windy 
night.  Bring  two  files  with  you,  so  that  we  can 
work  together,  and  some  oil." 

"  All  right,  massa.    Now  me  go." 

"  Shut  the  door  quietly,  Jake,  and  do  not  forget 
to  lock  it  behind  you,"  Harold  said  as  Jake  stole 
noiselessly  from  the  cell. 

A  week  passed  without  Jake's  again  visiting 
Harold's  cell.  On  the  seventh  night  the  wind  had 
got  up  and  whistled  around  the  jail,  and  Harold, 
expecting  that  Jake  would  take  advantage  of  the 
opportunity,  sat  down  on  his  bed  without  undress- 
ing and  awaited  his  coming.  It  was  but  half  an 
hour  after  the  door  had  been  locked  for  the  night 
that  it  quietly  opened  again. 


400  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

"  Here  me  am,  sar,  wid  eberyting  dat's  wanted  ; 
two  files  and  some  oil,  de  rope-ladder,  de  short  rope 
for  us  to  slide  down,  and  de  long  thin  rope  and  de 
piece  ob  wood  six  feet  long  and  thick  as  de  wrist." 

They  at  once  set  to  work  with  the  files,  and  in  an 
hour  had  sawn  through  two  bars,  making  a  hole 
sufficiently  wide  for  them  to  pass.  The  rope  was 
then  fastened  to  a  bar.  Harold  took  off  his  shoes 
and  put  them  in  his  pocket  and  then  slid  down  the 
rope  into  the  court-yard.  With  the  other  rope  Jake 
lowered  the  ladder  and  pole  to  him  and  then  slid 
down  himself.  Harold  had  already  tied  to  the  pole, 
at  four  inches  from  one  end,  a  piece  of  rope  some 
four  feet  long,  so  as  to  form  a  loop  about  half  that 
length.  The  thin  rope  was  put  through  the  loop 
and  drawn  until  the  two  ends  came  together. 

Noiselessly  they  stole  across  the  yard  until  they 
reached  the  opposite  wall.  The  night  was  a  very 
dark  one,  and  although  they  could  make  out  the 
outline  of  the  wall  above  them  against  the  sky- 
line, the  sentry-boxes  at  the  corners  were  invisible. 
Harold  now  took  hold  of  the  two  ends  of  the  rope, 
and  Jake,  stepping  back  a  few  yards  from  the  wall, 
threw  the  pole  over  it.  Then  Harold  drew  upon 
the  rope  until  there  was  a  check,  and  he  knew  that 
the  pole  was  hard  up  against  the  edge  of  the  wall. 
He  tied  one  end  of  the  rope-ladder  to  an  end  of  the 
double  cord  and  then  hauled  steadily  upon  the 
other.  The  rope  running  through  the  loop  drew 
the  ladder  to  the  top  of  the  wall.  All  this  was  done 
quickly  and  without  noise. 


TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  401 

"Now,  Jake,  do  you  go  first,"  Harold  said.  "I 
hold  the  rope  tight  below,  and  do  you  put  part 
of  your  weight  on  it  as  you  go  up.  When  you  get 
to  the  top,  knot  it  to  the  loop  and  sit  on  the  waU 
until  I  come  up." 

In  three  minutes  they  were  both  on  the  wall,  the 
ladder  was  hauled  up  and  dropped  on  the  outside, 
while  the  pole  was  shifted  to  the  inside  of  the  wall ; 
then  they  descended  the  ladder  and  made  across 
the  country. 

"  Which  way  we  go,  massa  ?"  Jake  asked. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  it  over,"  Harold  replied, 
"  and  have  decided  on  making  for  the  James 
River.  We  shall  be  there  before  morning  and  can 
no  doubt  find  a  boat.  We  can  guide  ourselves  by 
the  stars,  and  when  we  get  into  the  woods  the 
direction  of  the  wind  will  be  sufficient." 

The  distance  was  about  twenty  miles,  but  al- 
though accustomed  to  scouting  at  nip-ht,  they  would 
have  had  difficulty  in  making  their  way  through 
the  woods  by  morning  had  they  not  struck  upon  a 
road  leading  in  the  direction  in  which  they  wanted 
to  go. 

Thus  it  was  still  some  hours  before  daylight  when 
they  reached  the  James  River.  They  had  followed 
the  road  all  the  way,  and  at  the  point  where  it 
reached  the  bank  there  was  a  village  of  consider- 
able size,  and  several  fishermen's  boats  were 
moored  alongside.  Stepping  into  one  of  these,  they 
unloosed  the  head-rope  and  pushed  out  into  the 
stream.  The  boat  was  provided  with  a  sail.  The 
mast  was  soon  stepped  and  the  sail  hoisted. 


402  TRUh  TO  THE  OLD  FLAQ. 

Neither  Harold  nor  Jake  had  had  much  ex- 
perience in  boat-sailing,  but  the  wind  was  with 
them  and  the  boat  ran  rapidly  down  the  river,  and 
before  daylight  they  were  many  miles  from  their 
point  of  starting.  The  banks  of  the  James  River 
are  low  and  swampy,  and  few  signs  of  human  habi- 
tation were  seen  from  the  stream.  It  widened 
rapidly  as  they  descended  and  became  rougher  and 
rougher.  They  therefore  steered  into  a  sheltered 
spot  behind  a  sharp  bend  of  the  river  and  anchored. 

In  the  locker  they  found  plenty  of  lines  and  bait, 
and  setting  to  work  had  soon  half  a  dozen  fine  fish 
at  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  They  pulled  up  the 
kedge  and  rowed  to  shore  and  soon  made  a  fire, 
finding  flint  and  steel  in  the  boat.  The  fish  were 
broiled  over  the  fire  upon  sticks.  The  boat  was 
hauled  in  under  some  overhanging  bushes,  and 
stretching  themselves  in  the  bottom,  Harold  and 
Jake  were  soon  fast  asleep. 

The  sun  was  setting  when  they  woke. 

"  What  you  going  to  do,  sar  2"  Jake  asked.  "  Are 
you  tinking  ob  trabeling  by  land  or  ob  sailing  to 
New  York?" 

"Neither,  Jake,"  Harold  answered.  "I  am 
thinking  of  sailing  down  the  coast  inside  the  line  of 
keys  to  Charleston.  The  water  there  is  comparative- 
ly smooth,  and  as  we  shall  be  taken  for  fishermen 
it  is  not  likely  that  we  shall  be  overhauled.  "We 
can  land  ocasionally  and  pick  a  few  ears  of  corn  to 
eat  with  our  fish,  and  as  there  is  generally  a  breeze 
night  and  morning,  however  still  and  hot  the  day, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  403 

we  shall  be  able  to  do  it  comfortably.  I  see  that 
there  is  an  iron  plate  here  which  has  been  used  for 
making  a  fire  and  cooking  on  board,  so  we  will  lay 
in  a  stock  of  dry  wood  before  we  start." 

The  journey  was  made  without  any  adventure. 
While  the  breeze  lasted  they  sailed  ;  when  it  fell 
calm  they  fished,  and  when  they  had  obtained  a 
sufficient  supply  for  their  wants  they  lay  down  and 
slept  under  the  shade  of  their  sail  stretched  as  an 
awning.  Frequently  they  passed  within  hail  of 
other  fishing-boats,  generally  manned  by  negroes. 
But  beyond  a  few  words  as  to  their  success,  no 
questions  were  asked.  They  generally  kept  near 
the  shore,  and  when  they  saw  any  larger  craft  they 
either  hauled  the  boat  up  or  ran  into  one  of  the 
creeks  in  which  the  coast  abounds.  It  was  with 
intense  pleasure  that  at  last  they  saw  in  the  distance 
the  masts  of  the  shipping  in  Charleston  harbor. 

Two  hours  later  they  landed.  They  fastened  the 
boat  to  the  wharf  and  made  their  way  into  the 
town  unquestioned.  As  they  were  walking  along 
the  principal  street  they  saw  a  well-known  figure 
sauntering  leisurely  toward  them.  His  head  was 
bent  down  and  he  did  not  notice  them  until  Harold 
hailed  him  with  a  shout  of  "  Halloo !  Peter,  old 
fellow,  how  goes  it  ?" 

Peter,  although  not  easily  moved  or  excited, 
gave  a  yell  of  delight  which  astonished  the  passers- 
by. 

"  Ah !  my  boy,"  he  exclaimed,  "  this  is  a  good 
sight  for  my  old  eyes.  Here  have  I  been  a-fretting 


404  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

and  a-worrying  myself  for  the  last  three  months, 
and  cussing  my  hard  luck  that  I  was  not  with  you 
in  that  affair  on  King's  Mountain.  At  first,  when 
I  heard  of  it,  I  says  to  myself,  '  The  young  un  got 
out  of  it  somehow.  He  ain't  going  to  be  caught 
asleep.'  Waal,  I  kept  on  hoping  and  hoping  you'd 
turn  up,  till  at  last  I  couldn't  deceive  myself  no 
longer  and  was  forced  to  conclude  that  you'd  either 
been  rubbed  out  or  taken  prisoner.  About  a  month 
ago  we  got  from  the  Yankees  a  list  of  the  names 
of  them  they'd  captured,  and  glad  I  was  to  see  yours 
among  'em.  As  I  thought  as  how  you  weren't 
likely  to  be  out  as  long  as  the  war  lasted,  I  was 
a-thinkingof  giving  it  up  and  going  to  Montreal  and 
settling  down  there.  It  was  lonesome  like  without 
you,  and  I  missed  Jake's  laugh,  and  altogether 
things  didn't  seem  natural  like.  Jake,  I'm  glad  to 
see  ye.  Your  name  was  not  in  the  list,  but  I 
thought  it  likely  enough  they  might  have  taken 
you  and  set  you  to  work  and  made  no  account  of 
ye." 

"  That  is  just  what  they  did  ;  but  he  got  away 
after  settling  his  score  with  his  new  master  and  then 
made  for  Richmond,  where  I  was  in  prison ;  then 
he  got  me  loose  and  here  we  are.  But  it  is  a  long 
story  and  I  must  tell  it  you  at  leisure." 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  405 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    WAR   IN   SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

THE  fishing- boat  was  disposed  of  for  a  few 
pounds,  and  Harold  and  Jake  were  again  fitted  out 
in  the  serai-uniform  worn  by  the  scouts.  On  De- 
cember 13,  the  very  day  after  their  arrival,  a  con- 
siderable detachment  of  troops,  under  General 
Leslie,  arrived,  and  on  the  19th  marched,  fifteen 
hundred  strong,  to  join  Lord  Cornwallis.  Harold 
and  his  mates  accompanied  them,  and  the  united 
army  proceeded  northwest,  between  the  Eoanoke 
and  Catawba  rivers.  Colonel  Tarleton  was  detached 
with  a  force  of  one  thousand  men,  consisting  of 
light  and  German  legion  infantry,  a  portion  of  the 
Seventh  Regiment  and  of  the  first  battalion  of  the 
Seventy-first,  three  hundred  and  fifty  cavalry,  and 
two  field-pieces.  His  orders  were  to  pursue  and 
destroy  a  force  of  some  eight  hundred  of  the  enemy 
under  General  Morgan.  The  latter,  finding  himself 
pressed,  drew  up  his  troops  for  action  near  a  place 
called  the  Cowpens.  Then  ensued  the  one  action 
in  the  whole  war  in  which  the  English,  being  supe- 
rior in  numbers,  suffered  a  severe  defeat. 

Tarleton,  confident  of  victory,  led  his  troops  to 
the  attack  without  making  any  proper  preparations 


406 

for  it.  The  infantry  advanced  bravely,  and  al- 
though the  American  infantry  held  the  ground  for 
a  time  with  great  obstinacy,  they  drove  them  back 
and  the  victory  appeared  to  be  theirs.  Tarleton 
now  sent  orders  to  his  cavalry  to  pursue,  as  his  in- 
fantry were  too  exhausted,  having  marched  at  a 
rapid  pace  all  night,  to  do  so.  The  order  was  not 
obeyed,  and  Major  Washington,  who  commanded 
the  American  cavalry,  advanced  to  cover  his  infan- 
try. These  rallied  behind  their  shelter  and  fell 
upon  the  disordered  British  infantry.  Thus  suddenly 
attacked  when  they  believed  that  victory  was  in 
their  hands,  the  English  gave  way  and  were  driven 
back.  A  panic  seized  them  and  a  general  rout  en- 
sued. Almost  the  whole  of  them  were  either  killed 
or  taken  prisoners. 

Tarleton  in  vain  endeavored  to  induce  his  Ger- 
man legion  cavalry  to  charge;  they  stood  aloof 
and  at  last  fled  in  a  body  through  the  woods.  Their 
commander  and  fourteen  officers  remained  with 
Tarleton,  and  with  these  and  forty  men  of  the 
Seventeenth  Regiment  of  dragoons  he  charged  the 
whole  body  of  the  American  cavalry  and  drove 
them  back  upon  the  infantry. 

No  partial  advantage,  however  brilliant,  could 
retrieve  the  misfortune  of  the  day.  All  was  already 
lost,  and  Tarleton  retreated  with  his  gallant  little 
band  to  the  main  army  under  Lord  Cornwallis, 
twenty-five  miles  from  the  scene  of  action.  The 
British  infantry  were  all  killed,  wounded,  or  taken 
prisoners,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  detachment 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  407 

which  had  been  left  in  the  rear,  and  who  fell  back 
hastily  as  soon  as  the  news  of  the  result  of  the  action 
reached  them.  The  legion  cavalry  returned  to 
camp  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

The  defeat  at  Cowpens  had  a  serious  influence  on 
the  campaign.  It  deprived  Lord  Cornwallis  of  the 
greater  portion  of  his  light  infantry,  who  were  of 
the  greatest  utility  in  a  campaign  in  such  a  country, 
while  the  news  of  the  action  had  an  immense  in- 
fluence in  raising  the  spirits  of  the  colonists.  Hither- 
to they  had  uniformly  met  with  ill  success  when 
they  opppsed  the  British  with  forces  even  approach- 
ing an  equality  of  strength.  In  spite  of  their 
superior  arms  and  superior  shooting,  they  were  un- 
able to  stand  the  charge  of  the  British  infantry, 
who  had  come  almost  to  despise  them  as  foes  in  the 
field.  The  unexpected  success  urged  them  to  fresh 
exertions  and  brought  to  their  side  vast  numbers  of 
waverers. 

General  Morgan,  who  was  joined  by  General 
Greene,  attempted  to  prevent  Cornwallis  passing  the 
fords  of  the  Catawba.  It  was  not  till  February  1 
that  the  river  had  fallen  sufficiently  to  render  a 
passage  possible.  Colonel  "Webster  was  sent  with 
his  division  to  one  of  the  principal  fords,  with 
orders  to  open  a  cannonade  there  and  make  a  feint 
of  crossing,  while  the  general  himself  moved  toward 
a  smaller  and  less-known  ford.  General  Davidson, 
with  three  hundred  Americans,  was  watching  this 
point,  but  the  brigade  of  guards  were  ordered  to 
commence  the  passage  and  were  led  by  their  light 


408  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

infantry  companies  under  Colonel  Hall.  The  river 
was  five  hundred  yards  across,  and  the  stream  so 
strong  that  the  men,  marching  in  fours,  had  to  sup- 
port one  another  to  enable  them  to  withstand  its 
force.  The  ford  took  a  sharp  turn  in  the  middle  of 
the  river. 

The  night  being  dark,  the  guards  were  not  per- 
ceived until  they  had  reached  this  point,  when  the 
enemy  immediately  opened  fire  upon  them.  The 
guide  at  once  fled  without  his  absence  being  noticed 
until  it  was  too  late  to  stop  him.  Colonel  Hall,  not 
knowing  of  the  bend  in  the  ford,  led  his  men 
straight  forward  toward  the  opposite  bank,  and  al- 
though their  difficulties  were  much  increased  by  the 
greater  depth  of  water  through  which  they  had  to 
pass,  the  mistake  was  really  the  means  of  saving 
them  from  much  loss,  as  the  Americans  were  assem- 
bled to  meet  them  at  the  head  of  the  ford,  and 
would  have  inflicted  a  heavy  loss  upon  them  as  they 
struggled  in  the  stream.  They  did  not  perceive  the 
change  in  the  direction  of  the  column's  march  until 
too  late,  and  the  guards  on  landing  met  them  as 
they  came  on  and  quickly  routed  and  dispersed 
them.  The  British  lost  four  killed,  among  whom 
was  Colonel  Hall,  and  thirty-six  wounded. 

The  rest  of  the  division  then  crossed.  Colonel 
Tarleton,  with  the  cavalry,  was  sent  against  five 
hundred  of  the  Americans  who  had  fallen  back  from 
the  various  fords,  and  burning  with  the  desire  to  re- 
trieve the  defeat  of  the  Cowpens,  the  legion  horse 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLA&. 


409 


charged  the  enemy  with  such  fury  that  they  were 
completely  routed,  fifty  of  them  being  killed. 

Morgan  and  Greene  withdrew  their  army  through 


A .  The  Aitvantt  of  rart  of  the 
Continentals  who  broke  the 
British  Centre,  and  afterwards 
/ell  tact  to  their  original  position. 


BATTLE  OFGUILDFORD 

fought  on  the  IB^of  March  1781. 
One  English  Mile 


the  Roanoke  River,  hotly  pursued  by  the  English. 
For  a  few  days  the  British  army  remained  at  Hills- 
borough,  but  no  supplies  of  food  sufficient  for  its 
maintenance  could  be  found  there,  so  it  again  fell 


410  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

back.  General  Greene,  being  reenforced  by  a  con- 
siderable force,  now  determined  to  fight,  and  ac- 
cordingly advanced  and  took  up  a  position  near 
Guilford  Court-House. 

The  American  force  consisted  of  four  thousand 
two  hundred  and  forty-three  infantry  and  some 
three  thousand  irregulars — for  the  most  part  back- 
woodsmen from  the  frontier — while  the  British  force 
amounted  to  fourteen  hundred  and  forty-five,  ex- 
clusive of  their  cavalry,  who,  however,  took  little 
part  in  the  fight.  About  four  miles  from  Guilford 
the  advanced  guards  of  the  army  met  and  a  sharp 
fight  ensued — the  Americans,  under  Colonel  Lee, 
maintaining  their  ground  stanchly  until  the 
Twenty-third  Kegirnent  came  up  to  the  assistance 
of  Tarleton,  who  commanded  the  advance. 

The  main  American  force  was  posted  in  an  ex- 
ceedingly strong  position.  Their  first  line  was  on 
commanding  ground,  with  open  fields  in  front ;  on 
their  flanks  were  woods,  and  a  strong  fence  ran 
along  in  front  of  their  line.  The  second  line  was 
posted  in  a  wood  three  hundred  yards  in  rear  of  the 
first,  while  four  hundred  yards  behind  were  three 
brigades  drawn  up  in  the  open  ground  round 
Guilford  Court-House.  Colonel  "Washington,  with 
two  regiments  of  dragoons  and  one  of  riflemen, 
formed  a  reserve  for  the  right  flank ;  Colonel  Lee, 
with  his  command,  was  in  reserve  on  the  left. 

As  soon  as  the  head  of  the  British  column  ap- 
peared in  sight  two  guns  upon  the  road  opened  fire 
upon  them  and  were  answered  by  the  English  artil- 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  41 1 

lery.  While  the  cannonade  continued  the  British 
formed  in  order  of  attack.  The  Seventy-first,  with 
a  provincial  regiment  supported  by  the  first  battal- 
ion of  the  guards,  formed  the  right;  the  Twenty- 
third  and  Thirty -third,  led  by  Colonel  Webster,  with 
the  grenadiers  and  second  battalion  of  guards, 
formed  the  left.  The  light  infantry  of  the  guards 
and  the  cavalry  were  in  reserve. 

When  the  order  was  given  to  advance  the  line 
moved  forward  in  perfect  steadiness,  and  at  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  the  enemy  opened  fire. 
The  English  did  not  fire  a  shot  till  within  eighty 
yards,  when  they  poured  in  a  volley  and  charged 
with  the  baj^onet.  The  first  line  of  the  enemy  at 
once  fell  back  upon  the  second  ;  here  a  stout  resist- 
ance was  made.  Posted  in  the  woods  and  shelter- 
ing themselves  behind  trees,  they  kept  up  for  some 
time  a  galling  fire  which  did  considerable  execution. 
General  Leslie  brought  up  the  right  wing  of  the 
first  battalion  of  guards  into  the  front  line  and 
Colonel  Webster  called  up  the  second  battalion. 
The  enemy's  second  line  now  fell  back  on  their 
third,  which  was  composed  of  their  best  troops,  and 
the  struggle  was  a  very  obstinate  one. 

The  Americans,  from  their  vastly  superior  num- 
bers, occupied  so  long  a  line  of  ground  that  the 
English  commanders,  in  order  to  face  them,  were 
obliged  to  leave  large  gaps  between  the  different 
regiments.  Thus  it  happened  that  Webster,  who 
with  the  Thirty-third  Regiment,  the  light  infantry, 
and  the  second  battalion  of  guards  turned  toward 


412  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

the  left,  found  himself  separated  from  the  rest  of 
the  troops  by  the  enemy,  who  pushed  in  between 
him  and  the  Twenty-third.  These  again  were 
separated  from  the  guards.  The  ground  was  very 
hilly,  the  wood  exceedingly  thick,  and  the  English 
line  became  broken  up  into  regiments  separated 
from  each  other,  each  fighting  on  its  own  account 
and  ignorant  of  what  was  going  on  in  other  parts  of 
the  field. 

The  second  battalion  of  guards  was  the  first  that 
broke  through  the  wood  into  the  open  grounds  of 
Guilford  Court-House.  They  immediately  attacked 
a  considerable  force  drawn  up  there,  routed  them, 
and  took  their  two  cannon  with  them;  but,  pursu- 
ing them  with  too  much  ardor  and  impetuosity 
toward  the  woods  in  the  rear,  were  thrown  into 
confusion  by  a  heavy  fire  from  another  body  of 
troops  placed  there,  and  being  instantly  charged  by 
"Washington's  dragoons,  were  driven  back  with 
great  slaughter  and  the  cannon  were  retaken. 

At  this  moment  the  British  guns,  advancing  along 
the  road  through  the  wood,  issued  into  the  open 
an<J  checked  the  pursuit  of  the  Americans  by  a  well- 
directed  fire.  The  Seventy-first  and  the  Twenty- 
third  now  came  through  the  wood.  The  second 
battalion  of  guards  rallied  and  again  advanced, 
and  the  enemy  were  quickly  repulsed  and  put 
to  flight.  The  two  guns  were  recaptured  with  two 
others. 

Colonel  "Webster,  with  the  Thirty-third,  returned 
across  the  ravine  through  which  he  had  driven  the 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  413 

en  emy  opposed  to  him  and  rejoined  the  rest  of  the 
force.  The  Americans  drew  off  in  good  order. 
The  Twenty -third  and  Twenty -first  pursued  with 
the  cavalry  for  a  short  distance  and  were  then  re- 
pealled. The  fight  was  now  over  on  the  center  and  left, 
but  on  the  right  heavy  firing  was  still  going  on. 
Here  General  Leslie,  with  the  first  battalion  of 
guards  and  a  Hessian  regiment,  had  been  greatly 
impeded  by  the  excessive  thickness  of  the  woods, 
which  rendered  it  impossible  to  charge  with  the 
bayonet.  As  they  struggled  through  the  thicket 
the  enemy  swarmed  around  them,  so  that  they  were 
at  times  engaged  in  front,  flanks,  and  rear.  The 
enemy  were  upon  an  exceedingly  steep  rise,  and 
lying  along  the  top  of  this  they  poured  such  a  heavy 
fire  into  the  guards  that  these  suffered  exceedingly; 
nevertheless  they  struggled  up  to  the  top  and 
drove  the  front  line  back,  but  found  another  far 
more  numerous  drawn  up  behind.  As  the  guards 
struggled  up  to  the  crest  they  were  received  by  a 
tremendous  fire  on  their  front  and  flanks  and  suf- 
fered so  heavily  that  they  fell  into  confusion.  The 
.Hessian  regiment,  which  had  suffered  but  slightly, 
advanced  in  compact  order  to  the  left  of  the  guards, 
and  wheeling  to  the  right  took  the  enemy  in  the 
flank  with  a  very  heavy  fire.  Under  cover  of  this 
the  guards  re-formed  and  moved  forward  to  join  the 
Hessians  and  complete  the  repulse  of  the  enemy  op- 
posed to  them.  They  were  again  attacked  both  in 
the  flank  and  the  rear,  but  at  last  they  completely 
dispersed  the  troops  surrounding  them  and  the 
battle  came  to  an 


414  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

This  battle  was  one  of  the  most  obstinate  and 
well-contested  throughout  the  war,  and  the  greatest 
credit  is  due  to  the  British,  who  drove  the  enemy, 
three  times  their  own  number,  from  the  ground 
chosen  by  them  and  admirably  adapted  to  their 
mode  of  warfare. 

The  loss,  as  might  have  been  expected,  was 
heavy,  amounting  to  ninety-three  killed  and  four 
hundred  and  thirteen  wounded — nearly  a  third 
of  the  force  engaged.  Between  two  and  three 
hundred  of  the  enemy's  dead  were  found  on  the 
field  of  battle,  and  a  great  portion  of  their  army 
was  disbanded.  The  sufferings  of  the  wounded  on 
the  following  night  were  great.  A  tremendous 
rain  fell,  and  the  battle  had  extended  over  so  large 
an  area  that  it  was  impossible  to  find  and  collect 
them.  The  troops  had  had  no  food  during  the  day 
and  had  marched  several  miles  before  they  came  into 
action.  Nearly  fifty  of  the  wounded  died  during 
the  night. 

Decisive  as  the  victory  was,  its  consequences  were 
slight.  Lord  Cornwallis  was  crippled  by  his  heavy 
loss,  following  that  which  the  force  had  suffered 
at  the  Cowpens.  The  two  battles  had  diminished 
the  strength  of  his  little  force  by  fully  half.  Pro- 
visions were  difficult  to  obtain,  and  the  inhabitants, 
some  of  whom  had  suffered  greatly  upon  previous 
occasions  for  their  loyal  opinions,  seeing  the  weak- 
ness of  the  force  and  the  improbability  of  its  being 
enabled  to  maintain  itself,  were  afraid  to  lend 
assistance  or  to  show  their  sympathy,  as  they  would 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  415 

be  exposed  on  its  retreat  to  the  most  cruel  persecu- 
tions by  the  enemy. 

Three  days  after  the  battle  Lord  Cornwallis  re- 
tired, leaving  seventy  of  the  wounded  who  were 
unable  to  move  under  the  protection  of  a  flag  of 
truce.  From  Guilford  Court-House  he  moved  his 
troops  to  Wilmington,  in  North  Carolina,  a  seaport 
where  he  hoped  to  obtain  provisions  and  stores, 
especially  clothing  and  shoes. 

General  Greene,  left  unmolested  after  his  defeat, 
reassembled  his  army,  and  receiving  reinforcements, 
marched  at  full  speed  to  attack  Lord  Kawdon  at 
Camden,  thinking  that  he  would,  with  his  greatly 
superior  force,  be  able  to  destroy  him  in  his  isolated 
situation.  The  English  commander  fortified  his 
position  and  the  American  general  drew  back  and 
encamped  on  Hobkirk  Hill,  two  miles  distant,  to 
await  the  coming  of  his  heavy  baggage  and  cannon, 
together  with  some  reinforcements.  Lord  Kawdon 
determined  to  take  the  initiative,  and  marching  out 
with  his  whole  force  of  nine  hundred  men,  advanced 
to  the  attack.  The  hill  was  covered  at  its  foot  by  a 
deep  swamp,  but  the  English  marched  round  this 
and  stormed  the  position.  The  Americans  made  an 
obstinate  resistance,  but  the  English  climbed  the 
hill  with  such  impetuosity,  in  spite  of  the  musketry 
and  grape-shot  of  the  enemy,  that  they  were  forced 
to  give  way.  Several  times  they  returned  to  the 
attack,  but  were  finally  driven  off  in  confusion. 
One  hundred  prisoners  were  taken,  and  Lord  Raw- 
don  estimated  that  four  hundred  of  the  enemy  were 


416  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

killed  and  wounded.  The  American  estimate  was 
considerably  lower,  and  as  the  Americans  fought 
with  all  the  advantage  of  position,  while  the  Eng- 
lish were  exposed  during  their  ascent  to  a  terrible 
fire,  which  they  were  unable  to  return  effectively, 
it  is  probable  that  the  American  loss,  including  the 
wounded,  was  inferior  to  that  of  the  English,  whose 
casualties  amounted  to  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight. 
Harold  and  his  companions  did  not  take  part 
either  in  the  battle  of  Guilford  Court-House  or  in 
that  of  Hobkirk  Hill,  having  been  attached  to  the 
fort  known  as  Ninety-six  because  a  mile-stone  with 
these  figures  upon  it  stood  in  the  village.  The  force 
here  was  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Cruger,  who  had  with  him  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men  of  a  provincial  corps  known  as  Delancey's,  two 
hundred  of  the  second  battalion  of  the  New  Jersey 
volunteers,  and  two  hundred  local  loyalists.  The 
post  was  far  advanced,  but  so  long  as  Lord  Rawdon 
remained  at  Camden  its  position  was  not  considered 
to  be  dangerous.  The  English  general,  however, 
after  winning  the  battle  of  Hobkirk  Hill,  received 
news  of  the  retirement  of  Lord  Cornwallis  toward 
Wilmington,  and  seeing  that  he  would  thereby  be 
exposed  to  the  whole  of  the  American  forces  in 
South  Carolina  and  would  infallibly  be  cut  off  from 
Charleston,  he  determined  to  retire  upon  that  port. 
Before  falling  back  he  sent  several  messengers  to 
Colonel  Cruger  acquainting  him  of  his  intention. 
But  so  well  were  the  roads  guarded  by  the  enemy 
that  none  of  the  messengers  reached  Ninety-six. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  417 

Colonel  Cruger,  being  uneasy  at  the  length  of 
time  which  had  elapsed  since  he  had  received  any 
communication,  sent  Harold  and  the  two  scouts  out 
with  instructions  to  make  their  way  toward  the  en- 
emy's lines  and,  if  possible,  to  bring  in  a  prisoner. 
This  they  had  not  much  difficulty  in  doing.  Find- 
ing out  the  position  of  two  parties  of  the  Americans, 
they  placed  themselves  on  the  road  between  them, 
No  long  time  elapsed  before  an  American  officer 
came  along.  A  shot  from  Peter's  rifle  killed  his 
horse,  and  before  the  officer  could  recover  his  feet 
he  was  seized  by  the  scouts.  They  remained  hidden 
in  the  wood  during  the  day  and  at  night  returned 
with  their  prisoner  to  Ninety-six,  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant, avoiding  all  villages  where  resistance  could  be 
offered  by  hostile  inhabitants. 

From  the  prisoner  Colonel  Cruger  learned  that 
Lord  Rawdon  had  retreated  from  Camden  and  that 
he  was  therefore  entirely  isolated.  The  position 
was  desperate,  but  he  determined  to  defend  the  post 
to  the  last,  confident  that  Lord  Rawdon  would  as 
soon  as  possible  undertake  an  expedition  for  his 
release. 

The  whole  garrison  was  at  once  set  to  work, 
stockades  were  erected,  earthworks  thrown  up,  a 
redoubt  formed  of  casks  filled  with  earth  construct- 
ed, and  the  whole  strengthened  by  ditches  and 
abattis.  Block-houses  were  erected  in  the  village  to 
enable  the  troops  to  fire  over  the  stockades,  and 
covered  communications  made  between  the  various 
works.  The  right  of  the  village  was  defended  by 


418  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

a  regular  work  called  the  Star.  To  the  left  was  a 
work  commanding  a  rivulet  from  which  the  place 
drew  its  supply  of  water. 

Colonel  Cruger  offered  the  volunteers,  who  were 
a  mounted  corps,  permission  to  return  to  Charleston, 
but  they  refused  to  accept  the  offer,  and  turning 
their  horses  into  the  woods,  determined  to  share  the 
fate  of  the  garrison.  In  making  this  offer  the  colo- 
nel was  influenced  partly  by  motives  of  policy,  as 
the  stock  of  provisions  was  exceedingly  scanty,  and 
he  feared  that  they  would  not  last  if  the  siege  should 
be  a  long  one.  Besides  this,  be  feared  that,  as  had 
already  too  often  happened,  should  the  place  fall, 
even  the  solemn  engagement  of  the  terms  of  the 
surrender  would  not  be  sufficient  to  protect  the  loy- 
alists against  the  vengeance  of  their  countrymen. 

On  May  21  General  Greene  with  his  army  ap- 
peared in  sight  of  the  place  and  encamped  in  a  wood 
within  cannon-shot  of  the  village.  He  lost  no  time, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  night  threw  up  two  works 
within  seventy  paces  of  the  fortifications.  The 
English  commander  did  not  suffer  so  rash  and  dis- 
dainful a  step  to  pass  unpunished.  The  scouts,  who 
were  outside  the  works,  brought  in  news  of  what 
was  being  done,  and  also  that  the  working  parties 
were  protected  by  a  strong  force. 

The  three  guns  which  constituted  the  entire 
artillery  of  the  defenders  were  moved  noiselessly  to 
the  salient  angle  of  the  Star  opposite  the  works,  and 
at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  these  suddenly 
opened  fire,  aided  by  musketry  from  the  parapets. 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  419 

The  covering  force  precipitately  retreated,  and 
thirty  men  sallied  out  from  the  fort,  carried  the 
intrenchments,  and  bayoneted  their  defenders. 
Other  troops  followed,  the  works  were  destroyed, 
and  the  intrenching  tools  carried  into  the  fort. 
General  Greene,  advancing  with  his  whole  army, 
arrived  only  in  time  to  see  the  last  of  the  sallying 
party  reenter  the  village. 

"  I  call  that  a  right-down  good  beginning,"  Peter 
Lambton  said  in  great  exultation.  "  There's  noth- 
ing like  hitting  a  hard  blow  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fight.  I!;  raises  your  spirits  and  makes  t'other  chap 
mighty  cautious.  You'll  see  next  time  they'll 
begin  their  works  at  a  much  more  respectful  dis- 
tance." 

Peter  was  right.  The  blow  checked  the  im- 
petuosity of  the  American  general,  and  on  the 
night  of  the  23d  he  opened  his  trenches  at  a 
distance  of  four  hundred  yards.  Having  so  large  a 
force,  he  was  able  to  push  forward  with  great 
rapidity,  although  the  garrison  made  several  gal- 
lant sorties  to  interfere  with  the  work. 

On  June  3  the  second  parallel  was  completed.  A 
formal  summons  was  sent  to  the  British  commander 
to  surrender.  This  document  was  couched  in  the 
most  insolent  language  and  contained  the  most  un- 
soldierlike  threats  of  the  consequences  which  would 
befall  the  garrison  and  its  commander  if  he  offered 
further  resistance.  Colonel  Cruger  sent  back  a 
verbal  answer  that  he  was  not  frightened  by  General 
Greene's  menaces  and  that  he  should  defend  the 
post  until  the  lastv- 


4.20  TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG. 

The  American  batteries  now  opened  with  a  heavy 
cross-fire,  which  enfiladed  several  of  the  works. 
They  also  pushed  forward  a  sap  against  the  Star 
fort  and  erected  a  battery  composed  of  gabions 
thirty-six  yards  only  from  the  abattis  and  raised 
forty  feet  high  so  as  to  overlook  the  works  of  the 
garrison.  The  riflemen  posted  on  its  top  did  con- 
siderable execution  and  prevented  the  British  guns 
being  worked  during  the  day. 

The  garrison  tried  to  burn  the  battery  by  firing 
heated  shot  into  it,  but  from  want  of  proper  fur- 
naces they  were  unable  sufficiently  to  heat  the  shot 
sufficiently,  and  the  attempt  failed.  They  then 
protected  their  parapets  as  well  as  they  could  by 
sand-bags  with  loop-holes,  through  which  the  de- 
fenders did  considerable  execution  with  their 
rifles. 

Harold  and  his  two  comrades,  whose  skill  with 
their  weapons  was  notorious,  had  their  post  behind 
some  sand-bags  immediately  facing  the  battery, 
and  were  able  completely  to  silence  the  fire  of  its 
riflemen,  as  it  was  certain  death  to  show  a  head 
above  its  parapet. 

The  enemy  attempted  to  set  fire  to  the  houses  of 
the  village  by  shooting  blazing  arrows  into  them,  a 
heavy  musketry  and  artillery  fire  being  kept  up  to 
prevent  the  defenders  from  quenching  the  flames. 
These  succeeded,  however,  in  preventing  any  serious 
conflagration,  but  Colonel  Cruger  ordered  at  once 
that  the  whole  of  the  houses  should  be  unroofed. 
Thus  the  garrison  were  for  the  rest  of  the  siege 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  421 

without  protection  from  the  rain  and  night  air,  but 
all  risk  of  a  fire,  which  might  have  caused  the  con- 
sumption of  their  stores,  was  avoided. 

While  the  siege  had  been  going  on  the  town  of 
Augusta  had  fallen,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lee, 
marching  thence  to  reinforce  General  Greene, 
brought  with  him  the  British  prisoners  taken  there. 
With  a  scandalous  want  of  honorable  feeling  he 
marched  these  prisoners  along  in  full  sight  of  the 
garrison,  with  all  the  parade  of  martial  music  and 
preceded  by  a  British  standard  reversed. 

If  the  intention  was  to  discourage  the  garrison  it 
failed  entirely  in  its  effect.  Fired  with  indignation 
at  so  shameful  a  sight,  they  determined  to  encounter 
every  danger  and  endure  every  hardship  rather  than 
fall  into  the  hands  of  an  enemy  capable  of  disgrac- 
ing their  success  by  so  wanton  an  insult  to  their 
prisoners. 

The  Americans,  strengthened  by  the  junction  of 
the  troops  who  had  reduced  Augusta,  began  to  make 
approaches  against  the  stockaded  fort  on  the  left  of 
the  village,  which  kept  open  the  communication  of 
the  garrison  with  their  water  supply.  The  opera- 
tions on  this  side  were  intrusted  to  Colonel  Lee, 
while  General  Greene  continued  to  direct  those 
against  the  Star. 

On  the  night  of  June  9  a  sortie  was  made  by  two 
strong  parties  of  the  defenders.  That  to  the  right 
entered  the  enemy's  trenches  and  penetrated  to  a 
battery  of  four  guns,  which  nothing  but  the  want  of 
spikes  and  hammers  prevented  them  from  destroy- 


422  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

ing.  Here  they  discovered  the  mouth  of  a  mine 
intended  to  be  carried  under  one  of  the  defenses  of 
the  Star. 

The  division  on  the  left  fell  in  with  the  covering 
party  of  the  Americans,  killed  a  number  of  them, 
and  made  their  commanding  officer  a  prisoner. 

On  the  12th  Colonel  Lee  determined  to  attempt  a 
storm  of  the  stockade  on  the  left,  and  sent  forward 
a  sergeant  and  six  men  with  lighted  combustibles  to 
set  fire  to  the  abattis.  The  whole  of  them  were 
killed  before  effecting  their  purpose.  A  number  of 
additional  cannon  now  arrived  from  Augusta,  and 
so  heavy  and  incessant  a  fire  was  opened  upon  the 
stockade  from  three  batteries  that  on  the  17th  it 
was  no  longer  tenable,  and  the  garrison  evacuated 
it  in  the  night. 

The  suffering  of  the  garrison  for  want  of  water 
now  became  extreme.  With  great  labor  a  well  had 
been  dug  in  the  fort,  but  no  water  was  found,  and 
none  could  be  procured  except  from  the  rivulet 
within  pistol-shot  of  the  enemy.  In  the  day  noth- 
ing could  be  done,  but  at  night  negroes,  whose 
bodies  in  the  darkness  were  not  easily  distinguished 
from  the  tree-stumps  which  surrounded  them,  went 
out  and  at  great  risk  brought  in  a  scanty  supply. 
The  position  of  the  garrison  became  desperate. 
Colonel  Cruger,  however,  was  not  discouraged,  and 
did  his  best  to  sustain  the  spirits  of  his  troops  by 
assurances  that  Lord  Rawdon  was  certain  to  at- 
tempt to  relieve  the  place  as  soon  as  he  possibljr 
could  do  so, 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  423 

At  length  one  day,  to  the  delight  of  the  garrison, 
an  American  royalist  rode  right  through  the  pickets 
under  the  fire  of  the  enemy  and  delivered  a  verbal 
message  from  Lord  Rawdon  to  the  effect  that  he 
had  passed  Orangeburg  and  was  on  his  march  to 
raise  the  siege. 

Lord  Rawdon  had  been  forced  to  remain  at 
Charleston  until  the  arrival  of  three  fresh  regiments 
from  Ireland  enabled  him  to  leave  that  place  in 
safety  and  march  to  the  relief  of  Ninety-six.  His 
force  amounted  to  eighteen  hundred  infantry  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  cavalry.  General  Greene 
had  also  received  news  of  Lord  Rawdon's  move- 
ments, and  finding  from  his  progress  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  reduce  the  fort  by  regular  ap- 
proaches before  his  arrival,  he  determined  to  hazard 
an  assault. 

The  American  works  had  been  pushed  up  close  to 
the  forts,  the  third  parallel  had  been  completed, 
and  a  mine  and  two  trenches  extended  within  a  few 
feet  of  the  ditch.  On  the  morning  of  June  18  a 
heavy  cannonade  was  begun  from  all  the  American 
batteries.  The  whole  of  the  batteries  and  trenches 
were  lined  with  riflemen,  whose  fire  prevented  the 
British  from  showing  their  heads  above  the  parapets. 
At  noon  two  parties  of  the  enemy  advanced  under 
cover  of  their  trenches  and  made  a  lodgment  in  the 
ditch.  These  were  followed  by  other  parties  with 
hooks  to  drag  down  the  sand-bags  and  tools  to  over- 
throw the  parapet.  They  were  exposed  to  the  fire 
of  the  block-houses  in  the  village,  and  Major 


424  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

Green,  the  English  officer  who  commanded  the  Stai 
fort,  had  his  detachment  in  readiness  behind  the 
parapet  to  receive  the  enemy  when  they  attempted 
to  storm. 

As  the  main  body  of  Americans  did  not  advance 
beyond  the  third  parallel  and  contented  themselves 
with  supporting  the  parties  in  the  ditch  with  their 
fire,  the  commander  of  the  fort  resolved  to  inflict  a 
heavy  blow.  Two  parties,  each  thirty  strong,  under 
the  command  of  Captains  Campbell  and  French, 
issued  from  the  sally-port  in  the  rear,  entered  the 
ditch,  and  taking  opposite  directions  charged  the 
Americans  who  had  made  the  lodgment  with  such 
impetuosity  that  they  drove  everything  before 
them  until  they  met.  The  bayonet  alone  was  used 
and  the  carnage  was  great — two  thirds  of  those 
who  entered  the  trenches  were  either  killed  or 
wounded. 

General  Greene,  finding  it  useless  any  longer  to 
continue  the  attempt,  called  off  his  troops,  and  on 
the  following  day  raised  the  siege  and  marched  away 
with  all  speed,  having  lost  at  least  three  hundred 
men  in  the  siege.  Of  the  garrison  twenty-seven 
were  killed  and  fifty-eight  wounded. 

On  the  21st  Lord  Rawdon  arrived  at  Ninety-six, 
and  finding  that  it  would  be  hopeless  for  him  to  at- 
tempt to  overtake  the  retreating  enemy,  who  were 
marching  with  great  speed,  he  drew  off  the  garrison 
of  Ninety-six  and  fell  back  toward  the  eoast. 

A  short  time  afterward  a  sharp  fight  ensued  be- 
tween a  force  under  Colonel  Stewart  and  the  army 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  435 

of  General  Greene.  The  English  were  taken  by 
surprise  and  were  at  first  driven  back,  but  they  re- 
covered from  their  confusion  and  renewed  the  fight 
with  great  spirit,  and  after  a  desperate  conflict  the 
Americans  were  repulsed.  Two  cannon  and  sixty 
prisoners  were  taken;  among  the  latter  Colonel  Wash- 
ington, who  commanded  the  reserve.  The  loss  on 
both  sides  was  about  equal,  as  two  hundred  and 
fifty  of  the  British  troops  were  taken  prisoners  at 
the  first  outset.  The  American  killed  considerably 
exceeded  our  own.  Both  parties  claimed  the  vic- 
tory ;  the  Americans  because  they  had  forced  the 
British  to  retreat ;  the  British  because  they  had 
ultimately  driven  the  Americans  from  the  field  and 
obliged  them  to  retire  to  a  strong  position  seven 
miles  in  the  rear.  This  was  the  last  action  of  the 
war  in  South  Carolina. 


426  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 


CHAPTEK  XXI. 

THE   END   OF   THE    STRUGGLE. 

BEING  unable  to  obtain  any  supplies  at  Wilming- 
ton,  Lord  Cornwallis  determined  to  march  on  into 
Virginia  and  to  effect  a  junction  with  the  British 
force  under  General  Arnold  operating  there. 
Arnold  advanced  to  Petersburg  and  Cornwallis 
effected  a  junction  with  him  on  May  20.  The 
Marquis  de  la  Fayette,  who  commanded  the  colonial 
forces  here,  fell  back.  Just  at  this  time  the  Count 
de  Grasse,  with  a  large  French  fleet,  arrived  off  the 
coast,  and  after  some  consultation  with  General 
"Washington  determined  that  the  French  fleet  and 
the  whole  American  army  should  operate  together 
to  crush  the  forces  under  Lord  Cornwallis. 

The  English  were  hoodwinked  by  reports  that  the 
French  fleet  was  intended  to  operate  against  New 
York,  and  it  was  not  until  they  learned  that  the 
Count  de  Grasse  had  arrived  with  twenty-eight 
ships  of  the  line  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake 
Bay  that  the  true  object  of  the  expedition  was  seen. 
A  portion  of  the  English  fleet  encountered  them, 
but  after  irregular  actions,  lasting  over  five  days, 
the  English  drew  off  and  retired  to  New  York. 
The  commander-in-chief  then  attempted  to  effect  a 
diversion,  in  order  to  draw  off  some  of  the  enemy 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  437 

who  were  surrounding  Cornwallis.  The  fort  of 
New  London  was  stormed  after  some  desperate  fight- 
ing, and  great  quantities  of  ammunition  and  stores 
and  fifty  pieces  of  cannon  taken.  General  Wash- 
ington did  not  allow  his  attention  to  be  distracted. 
Matters  were  in  a  most  critical  condition,  for  al- 
though to  the  English  the  prospect  of  ultimate 
success  appeared  slight  indeed,  the  Americans  were 
in  a  desperate  condition.  Their  immense  and  long- 
continued  efforts  had  been  unattended  with  any 
material  success.  It  was  true  that  the  British 
troops  held  no  more  ground  now  than  they  did  at 
the  end  of  the  first  year  of  the  war,  but  no  efforts 
of  the  colonists  had  succeeded  in  wresting  that 
ground  from  them.  The  people  were  exhausted  and 
utterly  disheartened.  Business  of  all  sorts  was  at  a 
standstill.  Money  had  ceased  to  circulate,  and  the 
credit  of  Congress  stood  so  low  that  its  bonds  had 
ceased  to  have  any  value  whatever.  The  soldiers 
were  unpaid,  ill  fed,  and  mutinous.  If  on  the  Eng- 
lish side  it  seemed  that  the  task  of  conquering  was 
beyond  them,  the  Americans  were  ready  to  abandon 
the  defense  from  sheer  exhaustion.  It  was  then  of 
paramount  necessity  to  General  "Washington  that  a 
great  and  striking  success  should  be  obtained  to 
animate  the  spirits  of  the  people. 

Cornwallis,  seeing  the  formidable  combination 
which  the  French  and  Americans  were  making  to 
crush  him,  sent  message  after  message  to  New  York 
to  ask  for  aid  from  the  commander-in-chief,  and  re- 
ceived assurances  from  him  that  he  would  at  once 


428  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

sail  with  four  thousand  troops  to  join  him.  Accord- 
ingly, in  obedience  to  his  orders,  Lord  Cornwallis 
fortified  himself  at  Yorktown. 

On  September  28  the  combined  army  of  French 
and  Americans,  consisting  of  seven  thousand  of  the 
former  and  twelve  thousand  of  the  latter,  appeared 
before  Yorktown  and  the  post  at  Gloucester.  Lord 
Cornwallis  had  five  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
sixty  men,  but  so  great  had  been  the  effects  of  the 
deadly  climate  in  the  autumn  months  that  only  four 
thousand  and  seventeen  men  were  reported  as  fit  for 
duty. 

The  enemy  at  once  invested  the  town  and  opened 
their  trenches  against  it.  From  their  fleet  they  had 
drawn  an  abundance  of  heavy  artillery,  and  on 
October  9  their  batteries  opened  a  tremendous  fire 
upon  the  works.  Each  day  they  pushed  their 
trenches  closer,  and  the  British  force  was  too  weak, 
in  comparison  with  the  number  of  its  assailants,  to 
venture  upon  sorties.  The  fire  from  the  works  was 
completely  overpowered  by  that  of  the  enemy,  and 
the  ammunition  was  nearly  exhausted.  Day  after 
day  passed  and  still  the  promised  reinforcements 
did  not  arrive.  Lord  Cornwallis  was  told  positive- 
ly that  the  fleet  would  set  sail  on  October  8,  but 
it  came  not,  nor  did  it  leave  the  port  until  the 
19th,  the  day  on  which  Lord  Cornwallis  surren- 
dered. 

On  the  16th,  finding  that  he  must  either  surrender 
or  break  through,  he  determined  to  cross  the  river 


TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG.  429 

and  fall  on  the  French  rear  with  his  whole  force 
and  then  turn  northward  and  force  his  way  through 
Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Jerseys.  In  the 
night  the  light  infantry,  the  greater  part  of  the 
guards,  and  part  of  the  Twenty-third  were  embarked 
in  boats  amd  crossed  to  the  Gloucester  side  of  the 
river  before  midnight.  At  this  critical  moment  a 
violent  storm  arose  which  prevented  the  boats  re- 
turning. The  enemy's  fire  reopened  at  daybreak, 
and  the  engineer  and  principal  officers  of  the  army 
gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  it  was  impossible  to 
resist  longer.  Only  one  eight-inch  shell  and  a  hun- 
dred small  ones  remained.  The  defenses  had  in 
many  places  tumbled  to  ruins5  and  no  effectual 
resistance  could  be  opposed  to  an  assault. 

Accordingly  Lord  Cornwallis  sent  out  a  flag  of 
truce  and  arranged  terras  of  surrender.  On  the 
24th  the  fleet  and  reinforcements  arrived  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Chesapeake.  Had  they  left  New 
York  at  the  time  promised  the  result  of  the  cam- 
paign would  have  been  different. 

The  army  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war  until 
exchanged,  the  officers  with  liberty  to  proceed  on 
parole  to  Europe  and  not  to  serve  until  exchanged. 
The  loyal  Americans  were  embarked  on  the  Bonito 
sloop-of-war  and  sent  to  New  York  in  safety,  Lord 
Cornwallis  having  obtained  permission  to  send  off 
the  ship  without  her  being  searched,  with  as  many 
soldiers  on  board  as  he  should  think  fit,  so  that  they 
were  accounted  for  in  any  further  exchange.  He 


430  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

was  thus  enabled  to  send  off  such  of  the  inhabitants 
and  loyalist  troops  as  would  have  suffered  from 
the  vengeance  of  the  Americans. 

The  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis'  army  virtually 
ended  the  war.  The  burden  entailed  on  the  people 
in  England  by  the  great  struggle  against  France, 
Spain,  Holland,  and  America,  united  in  arms 
against  her,  was  enormous.  So  long  as  there  ap- 
peared any  chance  of  recovering  the  colony  the 
English  people  made  the  sacrifices  required  of 
them,  but  the  conviction  that  it  was  impossible  for 
them  to  wage  a  war  with  half  of  Europe  and  at  the 
same  time  to  conquer  a  continent  had  been  gaining 
more  and  more  in  strength.  Even  the  most 
sanguine  were  silenced  by  the  surrender  of  York- 
town,  and  a  cry  arose  throughout  the  country  that 
peace  should  at  once  be  made. 

As  usual  under  the  circumstances,  a  change  of 
ministry  took  place.  Negotiations  for  peace  were 
at  once  commenced,  and  the  war  terminated  in  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  entire  independence  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 

Harold  with  his  companions  had  fallen  back  to 
Charleston  with  Lord  Eawdon  after  the  relief  of 
Ninety -six  and  remained  there  until  the  news  ar 
rived  that  the  negotiations  were  on  foot  and  that 
peace  was  now  certain.  Then  he  took  his  discharge 
and  sailed  at  once  for  England,  accompanied  by 
Jake ;  Peter  Lambton  taking  a  passage  to  Canada 
to  carry  out  his  intention  of  settling  at  MontreaL 


TRUE  TO  TEE  OLD  FLAG.  431 

Harold  was  now  past  twenty-two,  and  his  father 
and  mother  did  not  recognize  him  when,  without 
warning,  he  arrived  at  their  residence  in  Devonshire 
It  was  six  years  since  his  mother  had  seen  him, 
when  she  sailed  from  Boston  before  its  surrender  in 
1776. 

For  a  year  he  remained  quiet  at  home  and  thet 
carried  out  his  plan  of  returning  to  the  American 
continent  and  settling  in  Canada. 

Accompanied  by  Jake,  he  sailed  for  the  St.  Law- 
rence and  purchased  a  snug  farm  on  its  banks,  near 
the  spot  where  it  flows  from  Lake  Ontario. 

He  greatly  improved  it,  built  a  comfortable  house 
upon  it,  and  two  years  later  returned  to  England, 
whence  he  brought  back  his  Cousin  Nelly  as  his 
wife. 

Her  little  fortune  was  usea  in  adding  to  the  farm, 
and  it  became  one  of  the  largest  and  best  managed 
in  the  country. 

Peter  Lambton  found  Montreal  too  crowded  for 
him  and  settled  down  on  the  estate,  supplying  it 
with  fish  and  game  so  long  as  his  strength  enabled 
him  to  go  about,  and  enjoying  the  society  of  Jack 
Pearson,  who  had  married  and  established  himself 
on  a  farm  close  by. 

As  years  went  on  and  the  population  increased 
the  property  became  very  valuable,  and  Harold  be- 
fore he  died  was  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most 
respected  men  in  the  colony.  So  long  as  his  mother 
lived  he  and  his  wife  paid  occasional  visits  to  Eng- 


432  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

land,  but  after  her  death  his  family  and  farm  had 
so  increased  that  it  was  inconvenient  to  leave  them  ; 
his  father  therefore  returned  with  him  to  Canada 
and  ended  his  life  there.  Jake  lived  to  a  good  old 
age  and  was  Harold's  faithful  friend  and  right-hand 
man  to  the  last. 


THE  END. 


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